Colapinto dodges contract question amid Alpine tension

(GMM) Franco Colapinto (pictured) has brushed off speculation about his future, but his evasive answers in Mexico did little to calm talk that he’s already secured an Alpine seat for 2026.

The Argentine rookie was at the center of rumors in recent days suggesting that Jack Doohan had nearly been recalled to replace him mid-season. Many in the paddock believe that chatter was stoked by Flavio Briatore to pressure Colapinto’s sponsors – whose bright yellow branding is indeed now prominent on the Alpine.

Colapinto’s bold defiance of team orders in Austin only fuelled the belief that his future is already safe. Alpine even deleted a social media post quoting team boss Steve Nielsen’s criticism of the incident, further suggesting tensions were being quietly managed behind the scenes.

Asked directly in Mexico whether a confirmed 2026 contract might have influenced his decision to ignore the order, Colapinto dodged neatly:

“Of course, not having a contract – I mean, I can’t compare it because I’ve never had a contract at this point in the season.

“But I don’t know what my decision would have been or how I would have reacted if I already had a contract for three or four years, or at least for next season.”

The 22-year-old admitted his debut season has been uneven, but argued that the car itself is the real problem. “Of course we knew 2025 was going to be a transition year, but it’s been a little more complicated than we expected,” he said.

“The reality is that we’re very close to each other at all times. In the last six races I’ve had competitive pace and been quite strong, but sometimes we can’t show our true personal pace because, at the end of the day, we’re a bit far away.”

As for his relationship with the team after the Austin dispute, Colapinto insisted the matter is closed.

“I think we’ve managed the team’s decisions very well so far,” he said. “It was different from what we’ve had before, and it was a complicated situation. We understood everything well before the race, and everything is fine.”