Franco Colapinto will be Alpine’s reserve driver in the next Formula 1 World Championship

The BWT Alpine Formula 1 team reached an agreement this Thursday with Williams Racing to sign the Argentine Franco Colapinto, 21, with a multi-season contract to assume the role of test and reserve driver during the 2025 World Championship .

On its website, Alpine said Colapinto will add “to the existing pool of talent that the team can call upon for driving services throughout the season.” As part of his role at Alpine, the Argentine will be present at several Grands Prix throughout the year and will also share driving duties.

He will do the latter with Estonian Paul Aron and Japan’s Ryo Hirakawa in the Previous Car Test Program (TPC), “as well as contributing to the team’s efforts in the on-track driver simulator at its Enstone headquarters. “, according to Alpine in the same press release.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to join the Alpine team. Firstly, I want to thank Williams for all their support from the moment I joined the Academy until the last race in Abu Dhabi. They have made my dream of compete in F1 and I will always be grateful for that,” commented Colapinto himself.

“Now is the time to start a new chapter and taking on this challenge with Alpine is truly an honor. A huge thank you to Luca [de Meo]Flavio [Briatore] y Oliver [Oakes] for believing in me and welcoming me to the team with open arms. “I can’t wait to get started and see where this journey takes us,” he added.

“Also, a huge thank you to all my sponsors and partners who supported me during the challenges of the 2024 season. Your support made it all possible and to my incredible fans in Argentina: ‘Thank you so much!’ “Your passion and encouragement mean a lot to me. Let’s aim for even bigger things in 2025 and beyond,” Colapinto concluded.

Briatore, executive advisor of the Alpine team, also appreciated this addition: “We are very happy to have reached an agreement with Williams to sign Franco. Without a doubt, Franco is one of the best young talents in motorsport at the moment.

“It’s fair to say that his appearance on the F1 grid last year surprised many, including me, and his performances have been very impressive for a rookie driver. We have our sights set on our future and his signing means we have a great group of young drivers to turn to and work with to develop the team for future success,” concluded Briatore.