Franco Colapinto has left Williams to join Alpine as Test and Reserve Driver for 2025 F1 season.
Colapinto joined Williams’ F1 Academy exactly two years ago and last season, he drove in FP1 at the British GP before he replaced Logan Sargeant from Monza for the final nine rounds of the campaign – during which he scored five points en-route to 19th in the standings.
His performances ultimately persuaded Alpine to swoop for him to join their reserve roster alongside Paul Aron and Ryo Hirakawa, with Williams’ Team Principal – James Vowles pleased to see Colapinto secure a move further up the grid on a multi-year agreement as he paid tribute to the Argentinean for his efforts.
“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.”
In his first interview for Alpine, Colapinto revealed that he is “super excited” to make the move but acknowledged Williams’ role in his latest opportunity.
“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.”
The 21 year-old Argentinean though is keen to embrace his new chapter in F1
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. Let’s aim for even greater things in 2025 and beyond.”