Alpine's confirmation that Franco Colapinto will remain with the team for 2027 came just a week after Red Bull announced Max Verstappen had agreed fresh terms, ending speculation about his future. The timing reflects Flavio Briatore's earlier admission that he was waiting to see whether a top driver became available before committing to his own line-up.
Briatore's options closed
Alpine never realistically hoped to sign Verstappen themselves. The four-time world champion has been dissatisfied with a run of results that has produced no wins but several podiums this year at Red Bull. If he was looking elsewhere for 2027, he was seeking a more competitive car, not one fighting in the midfield.
Mercedes and McLaren were the most likely destinations if Verstappen had found a way out of Red Bull. Toto Wolff had previously made clear his interest, while it is understood Zak Brown held talks with the Verstappen camp that did not proceed very far. Neither team was willing to drop one of its drivers, so the Dutchman stayed where he is.
Russell and Piastri linked
If either team had been willing to shake things up, George Russell would most likely have been let go by Mercedes, while Oscar Piastri would probably have been dropped by McLaren. Red Bull would surely have considered picking them up to fill the void left by Verstappen, but Alpine fancied their chances of snatching them away too.
Back in May, Briatore named Mercedes specifically as he admitted he was holding out on confirming his own team's 2027 driver plans while waiting to see if one of the Silver Arrows pair became available. He said: "We don't know if Mercedes will pick up Max, or whatever. So let's see what we have in the house before we proceed."
He was clearly eyeing Russell as an option, as it has been clear throughout that Mercedes would not entertain letting starlet Kimi Antonelli slip through their fingers given the high hopes they have for his future. But both Russell and Wolff confirmed before the summer break that he would be sticking around for 2027.
Colapinto keeps seat
Confirmation that Verstappen is staying where he is, coupled with Williams announcing that Carlos Sainz has penned a new deal there after admitting he was considering his future, led to this situation in which Alpine have accepted that Colapinto remains the best driver for the job. Colapinto has scored points in six out of 12 races held so far in 2026.
He remains alongside Pierre Gasly, who signed a long-term extension last year. Briatore said: "For me, having consistency is very important. We are now settled from a driver point of view and I have said many times that, while this is an important piece of the puzzle, the most significant we have to get right is designing and building a fast race car which absolutely remains our number one priority."
