F1: Colapinto to join BWT Alpine F1 Team as a reserve driver for 2025

Colapinto was one of several junior drivers pulled up to F1 in 2024.

By Bruce Brown Published January 10, 2025 3:47 PM

Franco Colapinto to join BWT Alpine as reserve driver for 2025. — Courtesy of Formula 1

The BWT Alpine F1 Team announced that Franco Colapinto will join as a reserve driver for the 2025 F1 season. Colapinto was one of several new drivers promoted to F1 during the 2024 season.

Colaptinto replaced Logan Sargeant, driving for the Williams Racing F1 team. His initial races for Williams were surprisingly promising, as he did well in qualifying and scored points for the team. Unfortunately, Colapinto’s light didn’t shine as brightly as the season proceeded.

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Colapinto and Williams

Williams did not have a spot for Colapinto after the 2024 season, even though the team brought him up from F2 racing to F1. Willims and now-former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz had come to terms for Sainz to take the second seat to team with returning Williams driver Alex Albon.

Sainz had a strong season and only left Ferrari because of Lewis Hamilton’s surprise announcement before the beginning of the 2024 season that after 2024, Hamilton would move to Ferrari, which meant Sainz had to go.

Colapinto’s early success attracted the attention of several other teams, but as the end of the season approached and passed, no other team offered Colapointo a seat.

Colapinto and BWT Alpine

In a press release on January 9, BWT Alpine announced a deal with Williams Racing to secure Colapinto’s services in a multi-year agreement. Colapinto will be a Test and Reserve Driver for BWT Alpine for the 2025 season. He will join the team’s other two reserve drivers, Paul Aron and Ryo Hirakawa.

Colapinto will attend an unspecified number of Grands Prix during the season. He will also participate in the Testing of Previous Cars Program and
work with the team’s driver-in-loop simulators at the team’s headquarters in Enstone in the U.K.

Colapinto expressed his appreciation to both BWT and Willaims, “I am super excited to have the opportunity to join BWT Alpine Formula One Team. First of all, 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. Now, it is time for a new chapter, and to take on this challenge with BWT Alpine Formula One Team is truly an honour.”

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A Digital Trends Contributing Editor and Contributor for TheManual.com, Bruce Brown writes e-mobility reviews and covers…

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