Valtteri Bottas replacing Franco Colapinto? Alpine set the record straight

Flavio Briatore says Valtteri Bottas was never a serious candidate for an F1 drive with Alpine before signing with Cadillac.

Bottas, a 10-time grand prix winner, has sealed a full-time return to the F1 grid next season with the new Cadillac team, where he will be partnered by fellow sidelined driver Sergio Perez, who was dropped by Red Bull at the end of last year.

Alpine reportedly enquired about the availability of the current Mercedes reserve as they continue to weigh up their driver options for this year and beyond, with Bottas confirming he did hold talks with the team before deciding on Cadillac.

However, de facto Alpine boss Briatore insisted a move for the 36-year-old Finn was never truly on the cards.

“I talked with a lot of people,” Briatore conceded at the Dutch Grand Prix, where Crash.net are on the ground. “I talked with Bottas as well. We talked with Toto as well at the time, but really, there was never a discussion for Bottas to drive for Alpine.

“I think Alpine helped Bottas a little bit to sign the contract with Cadillac. We did some marketing. But this is the reason, honestly.

“I like Valtteri because he’s a super driver. And what Toto says is exactly the same. He was unlucky to be in Mercedes at the same time as Lewis, when Lewis was really at the peak of his driving.

“We have a different idea, but it’s nice to have Valtteri back. It’s nice to have a driver back with a lot of experience, but I’m looking for something else.”

Doubt cast on Franco Colapinto’s future

Briatore cast further doubt on Franco Colapinto's future by admitting the Argentine has not met expectations following a hugely difficult start to life at the team.

Alpine bought Colapinto out of his Williams contract and placed him in Jack Doohan's seat after the opening six races of the 2025 F1 season, but he has struggled alongside Pierre Gasly and is yet to score a point.

“I think I see everything already. I don’t need to see anything anymore,” Briatore replied when asked what he needs to see from Colapinto to retain his seat.

“It’s difficult. For this driver, it’s very difficult to cope with this car. These cars are very, very heavy, very quick. And for a young driver to put in Formula 1, maybe it was not the timing to have Franco in Formula 1.

“Maybe he needs another year or two to be part of Formula 1. And I know that, in the end, what is important is the result. He tries very hard. He tries very hard with the engineers to please them in everything, but it’s not what I expect from Colapinto.

Briatore added: “We changed Doohan with Franco Colapinto and maybe Colapinto has too much pressure to be in Formula 1.

“He had two or three races with [Williams] and he did very well but maybe to be in the team with a good driver like Pierre and always in competition with his team-mate, maybe we put too much pressure on him.

“Sometime we [forget] that the driver is a human being, and we need some time to understand exactly what’s going on.

“Because they’re young kids, 19, 20, 22, 23. I think our mistakes are trying to underestimate the human part of the life.

“I know we’re always looking for the timing. Maybe I missed something in the management of the driver for the future.”