Franco Colapinto is favorite for Alpine in 2027, and Alonso rumors are seen as mere speculation in the paddock
Even with the emergence of many recent speculations in various vehicles, Fernando Alonso’s potential return to Alpine in 2027, replacing Argentine Franco Colapinto, should be seen, at this moment, as one of the many common rumors in the Formula 1 environment. Colapinto, in fact, positions himself as the main candidate to occupy one of the French team’s vacancies this season.
Argentine competitor Franco Colapinto faced challenges at the start of his debut season at Alpine, but has shown remarkable progression throughout the current championship.
Currently, the South American has accumulated 16 points for the French team, although the expectation was for an even higher performance in terms of points.
At the most recent Barcelona Grand Prix, for example, he lost two places in the final classification after being penalized with additional time for an infraction committed under a yellow flag.
Despite this, the race once again demonstrated the young driver’s capacity for speed.
Previously, Franco Colapinto achieved the best results of his career in Formula 1 at the Miami and Montreal Grands Prix.
Furthermore, the South American driver demonstrates that he has adjusted well to the team’s internal dynamics, always encouraged by the fervor of his fellow countrymen.
Questioned by GP Blog, Colapinto detailed how his adaptation to the new rules and the car evolved progressively throughout the season.
The competitor highlighted the broad transformations: “I think a lot has changed, of course. It’s a new car, new regulations, everything is completely different. And the way I started the year was the opposite of last year, but also of 2024. I did a complete accuracy test. And overall, with the car, I’ve been feeling more comfortable since the beginning of the year. For some reason, that performance wasn’t showing in the first few races.”
The evolution of Colapinto’s tune with Alpine over the course of the season
With the exception of the Monaco Grand Prix, where he finished the race outside the points zone, Colapinto began to show a much stronger connection with the single-seater in the last stages.
According to Colapinto himself, the efforts made by the team were crucial in identifying the factors that limited their performance at the beginning of the year.
The athlete stated that he felt “much more comfortable in the car, much more in tune, much more connected with the car. And that, for me, was the biggest difference. I had that strong feeling that I was in a good position, even if the rhythm wasn’t appearing. We worked hard to understand the reasons. And when everything fell into place, it became much easier.”
In addition to the most recent results, there is another element of great importance for its future in the category.
The French team has no doubts about the potential and quality of the Argentine driver.
Franco Colapinto himself declares that he feels this confidence coming from the team, a factor that also contributed to his development on the track.
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Based on this, everything suggests that Alpine aims to keep the driver in 2027 alongside Pierre Gasly, who already has a long-term contractual relationship with the team.
The intense speculation about Fernando Alonso that arose during the Spanish GP
Last weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix, rumors circulated suggesting that Flavio Briatore could orchestrate Fernando Alonso’s return to Alpine in 2027.
Speculation suggested that the Italian businessman, who should continue to be associated with the team for a period, would be interested in bringing the two-time world champion back together with the French project.
However, currently, there is no solid or concrete evidence that could support this rumored possibility.
The Alpine team’s top priority continues to be maintaining internal stability and consolidating the driver duo formed by Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.
Part of the speculation emerged from Alonso speaking to Briatore during the race weekend in Barcelona.
Some news portals saw the meeting as a possible sign of ongoing negotiations.
However, a considerably simpler and more direct explanation elucidates the situation.
Flavio Briatore is known for being Fernando Alonso’s manager for many years, managing the driver’s career.
Consequently, interactions between the two are routine and perfectly normal within the busy Formula 1 paddock.
Similarly, countless conversations and meetings take place at each Grand Prix without necessarily implying future team changes or significant negotiations.
Thus, the hypothesis of Fernando Alonso at Alpine in 2027 remains, for now, strictly in the field of speculation, while Franco Colapinto remains the strongest name to remain alongside Gasly in the French team’s project.
