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In Formula 1, every blockbuster driver transfer has a victim. When a high-profile move shakes up the top of the grid, the shockwaves inevitably trap a younger driver in the midfield crossfire.
According to a bombshell report from Japanese outlet Auto Sport Web, Flavio Briatore is actively orchestrating a masterplan to lure Fernando Alonso back to Enstone for a shock 2027 campaign. While the paddock buzzes over the prospect of a two-time champion returning for a fourth stint with the French squad, the rumor exposes a brutal reality for the driver currently sitting in that exact Alpine seat: Franco Colapinto.
If Briatore gets his way, the fan-favorite Argentine driver is staring down a career death sentence.
To understand why Colapinto is the odd man out, you have to look at the other side of the Alpine garage.
During the 2025 season, Pierre Gasly quietly signed a massive multi-year extension that committed his future to Alpine until at least the end of 2028. The Frenchman is the undisputed, highly paid cornerstone of the team’s transition to Mercedes customer engines. Put simply, Gasly isn’t going anywhere.
That means any marquee signing orchestrated by Briatore for 2027 has to take the second seat. Unfortunately for Colapinto, that is the exact seat he just bled to secure.
On top of that, Colapinto’s journey to a full-time F1 seat has been a grueling emotional rollercoaster. After putting together a spectacular nine-race stint for Williams in 2024, Colapinto found himself homeless when the Grove outfit locked in Carlos Sainz alongside Alex Albon.
May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Alpine driver Franco Colapinto (43) during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Alpine threw him a lifeline, bringing him on as a reserve driver for 2025. When Jack Doohan floundered and was unceremoniously dumped after just six races, Briatore thrust Colapinto into the cockpit. The transition to the difficult 2025 Alpine chassis was brutal. Colapinto struggled to match Gasly’s pace early on, and Briatore even publicly admitted to the media that the team had put too much pressure on the young Argentine by promoting him too early.
However, Colapinto eventually found his footing. By the end of 2025, his steady improvement convinced team management to reward him with a full-time contract for the 2026 season. Now, less than a year after finally securing that hard-fought stability, Briatore’s obsession with a Fernando Alonso reunion threatens to rip it all away.
The cruelest part of this 2027 rumor is that Colapinto has virtually no safety net if Alpine drops him.
If Alonso jumps to Alpine, Colapinto cannot simply return to his former home at Williams to find refuge. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon have that garage completely locked down. While an Alonso departure would create a massive vacancy at Aston Martin, Lawrence Stroll would almost certainly look to poach an established race-winner—perhaps even triggering Sainz’s exit clauses—rather than taking a gamble on an ousted Alpine driver.
Franco Colapinto did everything right. He proved his speed at Williams, navigated the toxic political environment of Alpine’s mid-season driver swap, survived Briatore’s tough-love management style, and earned his 2026 seat. But in the ruthless, billionaire-backed world of Formula 1, doing everything right still isn’t enough to save you when Flavio Briatore decides he wants a two-time world champion in your car.
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According to a bombshell report from Japanese outlet Auto Sport Web, Flavio Briatore is actively orchestrating a masterplan to lure Fernando Alonso back to Enstone for a shock 2027 campaign. While the paddock buzzes over the prospect of a two-time champion returning for a fourth stint with the French squad, the rumor exposes a brutal reality for the driver currently sitting in that exact Alpine seat: Franco Colapinto.
If Briatore gets his way, the fan-favorite Argentine driver is staring down a career death sentence.
The Pierre Gasly Roadblock for Colapinto
To understand why Colapinto is the odd man out, you have to look at the other side of the Alpine garage.
During the 2025 season, Pierre Gasly quietly signed a massive multi-year extension that committed his future to Alpine until at least the end of 2028. The Frenchman is the undisputed, highly paid cornerstone of the team’s transition to Mercedes customer engines. Put simply, Gasly isn’t going anywhere.
That means any marquee signing orchestrated by Briatore for 2027 has to take the second seat. Unfortunately for Colapinto, that is the exact seat he just bled to secure.
On top of that, Colapinto’s journey to a full-time F1 seat has been a grueling emotional rollercoaster. After putting together a spectacular nine-race stint for Williams in 2024, Colapinto found himself homeless when the Grove outfit locked in Carlos Sainz alongside Alex Albon.
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May 24, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Alpine driver Franco Colapinto (43) during the Lenovo Grand Prix Du Canada at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Alpine threw him a lifeline, bringing him on as a reserve driver for 2025. When Jack Doohan floundered and was unceremoniously dumped after just six races, Briatore thrust Colapinto into the cockpit. The transition to the difficult 2025 Alpine chassis was brutal. Colapinto struggled to match Gasly’s pace early on, and Briatore even publicly admitted to the media that the team had put too much pressure on the young Argentine by promoting him too early.
However, Colapinto eventually found his footing. By the end of 2025, his steady improvement convinced team management to reward him with a full-time contract for the 2026 season. Now, less than a year after finally securing that hard-fought stability, Briatore’s obsession with a Fernando Alonso reunion threatens to rip it all away.
Trapped in the Driver Market
The cruelest part of this 2027 rumor is that Colapinto has virtually no safety net if Alpine drops him.
If Alonso jumps to Alpine, Colapinto cannot simply return to his former home at Williams to find refuge. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon have that garage completely locked down. While an Alonso departure would create a massive vacancy at Aston Martin, Lawrence Stroll would almost certainly look to poach an established race-winner—perhaps even triggering Sainz’s exit clauses—rather than taking a gamble on an ousted Alpine driver.
Franco Colapinto did everything right. He proved his speed at Williams, navigated the toxic political environment of Alpine’s mid-season driver swap, survived Briatore’s tough-love management style, and earned his 2026 seat. But in the ruthless, billionaire-backed world of Formula 1, doing everything right still isn’t enough to save you when Flavio Briatore decides he wants a two-time world champion in your car.
Continue reading...
