Shifting gears: Will Franco Colapinto join Alpine or Red Bull?

Franco Colapinto, the young Argentine talent currently driving for Williams Racing in Formula 1, may be looking at an opportunity for next year with French team Alpine, despite Sauber recently announcing Gabriel Bortoletto for the upcoming season. 

After a challenging Brazilian Grand Prix, Colapinto has been focused on preparations at Williams Racing’s headquarters in the United Kingdom, gearing up for the United States Grand Prix in Las Vegas — the last race of the season in the United States. Following this, two races remain, both in the Middle East: Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Rumours have been circulating about Colapinto’s future for weeks, including a possible move to Red Bull Racing's secondary team. However, in recent days, Alpine has shown particular interest. 

The French team, which celebrated a strong 1-3 finish at the Brazilian GP and is sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, is keen to bring Colapinto on board for next season. Alpine’s executive advisor Flavio Briatore and Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo have been in talks with Williams team principal James Vowles over Colapinto. 

Briatore, who previously managed champions like Michael Schumacher at Benetton and Fernando Alonso at Renault, has been pursuing Colapinto for almost two years. For Vowles, the proposal is tempting, as he would retain the option to recall Colapinto if needed. 

There is a complication: signing Colapinto would require Alpine to cancel the contract of the team’s current driver Jack Doohan.

Meanwhile, Red Bull CEO Christian Horner has also entered the picture, reportedly offering Williams US$20 million for Colapinto. 

Vowles suspects that if Colapinto leaves, his sponsors might follow, potentially increasing the value of the transfer. There’s also the question of how Colapinto’s arrival would affect the line-up at Red Bull, with Sergio Pérez’s contract extending through 2026 and Yuki Tsunoda signed until the end of the 2025 season.

While Colapinto’s future remains uncertain, his manager Marîa Catarineu is optimistic he’ll secure a seat for the 2025 season. 

We will have to wait to see where.