They are no longer rumors. Franco Colapinto is the new Alpine driver. They were months of uncertainty that culminated with a million-dollar transfer from the Argentine driver to the French team, and everything was the work of the mastermind of Flavio Briatore. There were several factors that led the Italian advisor to sign the Argentine for his team where, for the moment, he will serve as a reserve driver.
It was not easy, since Williams He had to say goodbye to his junior pilot who promised them a successful future. Therefore, The price they set to take Colapinto was 20 million dollarsaccording to the specialized Italian media Formula Passion. “Briatore’s new ‘Schumacher move’: 20 million reasons to see Colapinto on the track immediately,” is the title of the article that reveals the shocking figure.
What everyone in the Maximum What they are asking is, why pay so much money for a reserve driver, when the team already has other talents at its disposal? It is not an amount that is usually heard, especially if compared to the figure that Red Bull paid Checo Pérez to make his departure official: 15 million dollars. For a mid-grid team like Alpine, it is a bit strange to think that “they have spent so much to keep a driver on the bench”, as the Italian media outlet describes it.
So, there definitely has to be another plan behind it. And it is not far-fetched to think that Briatore could be planning to replace Jack Doohan with Colapinto mid-season. A few months ago it was confirmed that the 21-year-old Australian driver has a contract that ensures he will compete in the first five races of the year, and the rest remains indefinite.
Speculation is already growing that we could see the Argentine as a starting driver sooner than imagined. According to estimates, it would be in May, during the Miami Grand Prix, who through Twitter winked at the Pilar native in response to the announcement about his joining Alpine. “Congratulations, Franco Colapinto! See you in May,” they wrote.
It’s a risky move, but that’s what Briatore stands out for, the man behind the move that launched the career of Michael Schumacherseven-time world champion. In 1991, his debut year, the German competed in just one Grand Prix with Jordan, and Briatore soon signed him for his team, Benetton, with whom he would win his first World Championship.
“Maybe it will take a few races to see Franco in action again, or maybe it will happen like with Alonso (taken from Minardi in 2001 and raced at Renault only in 2003) and everything will be postponed until 2026. However, if we had to bet our dollar like the brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke, then it is worth betting on Colapinto on the grid now in Melbourne…” concluded Simone Peluso, the journalist who put his signature on the article.