Jack Doohan doesn't get a mention as Flavio Briatore reveals that Alpine's second driver in 2026 will either be Franco Colapinto or Paul Aron.

Since replacing Doohan, who was dropped after 6 races - four more than Liam Lawson was given at Red Bull - Colapinto has proved to be a bit of a damp squib.

Granted, the Alpine is the worst car on the grid by far, but nonetheless the Colapinto we have witnessed thus far is not the same guy that took the paddock by storm with Williams last year when he replaced Logan Sargeant, but rather the somewhat hapless version involved in numerous incidents later in the season.

Aron, a former member of the Mercedes Junior Team and third in the 2024 F2 championship, signed as reserve driver for Alpine in November last year and has taken part in two FP1 sessions, one with the French team the other with Sauber (Hungary).

Speaking to The Race, Briatore said the choice is between these two drivers.

"It's between Franco and Paul," he said. "Paul is a very nice guy, a very quick driver as well. And I need to understand what is the best for the team, you know?"

The Italian is adamant that the choice will be based purely on performance.

"I mean, I don't have any interest with anybody," he said. "Before the people were driving me mad, complaining because I was managing 50% of the drivers. Now, I don't manage anybody.

"I don't care," he insisted. "I don't have any interest. My only interest is to try to take in the team the best driver available and do the best job with us. It is as simple as that.

"I need another one or two races to see, but honestly today I don't know which one."

Other than slamming the door on Doohan, Briatore's comments appear to rule out the idea of looking elsewhere along the pitlane, say at Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson.

"I don't see any other possibility," said Briatore. "We see other ones, but we don't feel anything... the good guys go 'boom'. I remember when Schumi was in Group C with Sauber, he won every race...

"GP2 was the same," he continued. "Hamilton was bam, bam, bam... Fernando was driving Formula 3000 or whatever and he was winning every race.

"I remember testing Fernando. I put Fernando in Minardi and Giancarlo called me and said: 'I have never seen stuff like that'. Now, take away Max. The rest?"

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by ffracer, 16 hours ago

"I should know better than to get riled up reading another excerpt of Flavio Smackdown, while Pitpass does their best in providing the real backstory. Flavio is what Flavio does: talks in vicious verbal diarrhea spew just to get a reaction. This is someone who was involved in cheating and race fixing, received a lifetime ban because the governing body was disgusted with him then... and so he did what every slimy cretin does with some background knowledge and corporate savvy: wait in the tall grasses, while you work the room kissing tail until they let you back in. In this case, Renault/Alpine facilitating it.

Ok I will bite lol. The 2025 Alpine is no 2024 Williams - Albon and Colapinto had some memorable races in the car - but there much more going on. Colapinto's 2025 crash
damage is double Doohan's albeit heavy tally and Colapinto had serious crash damage in the Williams last year... but his sponsor portfolio has allowed Flavio to keep him in the game. That's the bottom line for the Piranna Club of F1. The social media and massive South American following is also music to Flavio's ears.

I don't like what happened to Doohan- not the first F1 driver to suffer from the reality of F1's huge cost of doing business- but everyone knows that the poor kid's days were numbered MINUTES after he was announced as a 2025 official Alpine race driver because Colapinto's faction approached Flavio after the announcement... No other available F1 licenced drivers that have caused a stir for
Flavio other than Colapinto (how much crash damage each weekend?) and Paul Aron. Sure Flavio, they rock your boat like Max Verstappen, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso have... sure."

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2. Posted by Chester, 20 hours ago

"We know what you mean. Reading less than perfect posts (like almost all of mine) help your brain's AI.

Brain > AI every day and every way."

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3. Posted by Max Noble, 21 hours ago

"*than, not ‘that’. Where’s AI when you need it ;-)"

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4. Posted by Max Noble, 21 hours ago

"…and they say Marko is brutal with his words! Wow. Way to rubbish the entire grid in less that fifty words!

Him, Bernie, Marko and (God bless) Jordan around a dinner table with some good red… good grief!"

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Aron or Colapinto to partner Gasly in 2026

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