Franco Colapinto joins BWT Alpine Formula One Team as a Test and Reserve Driver on a multi-year deal.
Following Colapinto’s impressive stint with Williams Racing in the second half of the 2024 season, Alpine entered an agreement with the team to secure the services of the 21-year-old Argentine.
Colapinto’s Role At Alpine
As part of the role, Colapinto will be in attendance at a number of Formula 1 Grands Prix across the season.
In addition, the Argentinian driver will share driving duties with Paul Aron and Ryo Hirakawa in the Testing of Previous Cars Programme.
As well as this, they will contribute to the team’s efforts on the driver-in-loop simulator at its Enstone headquarters.
Thoughts From Alpine
Speaking about his ascent into BTW Alpine Formula One Team, Franco said:
“I am super excited to have the opportunity to join BWT Alpine Formula One Team. First of all, I want to say thank you to Williams for all their support from the moment I joined the Academy until the last race in Abu Dhabi. They turned my dream of racing in Formula One into reality, and I will always be grateful for that.
“Now, it is time for a new chapter, and to take on this challenge with BWT Alpine Formula One Team is truly an honour. A huge thank you to Luca [de Meo], Flavio [Briatore] and Oliver [Oakes] for believing in me and welcoming me into the team with open arms. I cannot wait to get started and see where this journey takes us.
“Also, a massive thank you to all my sponsors and partners who stood by me through the challenges of the 2024 season. Your support made it all possible, and to my incredible fans in Argentina: ‘Muchas gracias!’ Your passion and encouragement mean the world to me. Let’s aim for even greater things in 2025 and beyond.”
Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of the team added:
“We are very pleased to come to an agreement with Williams Racing to sign Franco Colapinto. Clearly, Franco is among the best young talents in motorsport right now. It is fair to say his appearance on the Formula One grid last year caught many, me included, by surprise and his performances have been very impressive for a rookie driver.
“We have an eye on our future and his signing means we have a great pool of young drivers to call upon and work with in developing the team for future success.”
Waving Farewell To Williams
Following this decision, Williams Racing have entered into the agreement with Alpine that Colapinto will give his services to the Enstone-based team on a multi-year deal.
Previously part of the team’s Driver Academy, the Argentine stepped into a full-time race seat with the team for the last nine races of the 2024 F1 season, replacing Logan Sargeant.
Crucially, on debut at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, Colapinto became the first driver to compete in F1 for his home country in 23 years.
Furthermore, he also scored points on just his second outing at the following race in Baku, finishing eighth overall.
Thoughts From Williams
James Vowles, Team Principal at Williams Racing said:
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Alpine for Franco to join the team on a multi-year arrangement starting in 2025. Over nine memorable races with Williams he clearly showed he is deserving of a place in Formula 1 and we always said we would support him to get one.
“Williams has one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid for 2025 and beyond in Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, so we believe this agreement with Alpine represents Franco’s best chance of securing a race seat in 2025 or 2026.
“The Williams Racing Driver Academy exists to discover and develop the F1 stars of the future which is exactly what it has done in Franco’s case, and builds on our long tradition of giving talented young drivers their break at the top level of motorsport.
“We are proud to have returned Argentina to the F1 grid, want to thank Franco for everything he has brought to the team and look forward to future battles on track.”
Colapinto added:
“I want to say a big thanks to Williams Racing and the team partners, who supported me from the moment I joined the Academy and gave me the opportunity of becoming a F1 driver.
“They made my dreams come true and I will always be grateful. I’d like to thank the mechanics and all the team members who made a massive effort to put the car on track and give me the opportunity to score points.
“And to the fans, you have been there for us in the good times and bad; you are the best.”
Featured Image Credit: BWT Alpine Formula One Team
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