Early Life & Junior Career: Franco Alejandro Colapinto, born on May 27, 2003, in Pilar, Buenos Aires, began karting at age nine, swiftly claiming regional and national titles in Argentina. At 14, he moved to Europe to pursue a racing career—winning the Spanish F4 Championship in 2019 with eleven wins, ten poles, and thirteen podiums. He advanced to the Formula Renault and Toyota Racing Series’ in 2020, securing two victories and third overall standings in both championships. In 2021, he competed in sports car racing with G‑Drive in LMP2 and participated in the regional single‑seaters, claiming multiple podiums and one ELMS victory. Colapinto moved to FIA Formula 3 in 2022 with Van Amersfoort, winning races including Imola, and continued in 2023 with MP Motorsport—finishing fourth overall with two wins and five podiums. In the FIA Formula 2 Championship, he made his debut late in 2023 and competed full-time in 2024, achieving one win and multiple podiums, placing ninth in the standings before being promoted to F1.
Formula 1 Breakthrough with Williams: In January of 2023, Colapinto joined the Williams Driver Academy. He debuted in F1 Free Practice in July of 2024 at Silverstone and later in the season replaced Logan Sargeant for Williams during the final nine races of 2024. Making history as the first Argentine F1 driver since 2001, Franco scored several points: eighth place in Azerbaijan marked Argentina’s first F1 points since 1982, followed by other strong finishes. Colapinto concluded the year 19th in the standings with five championship points.
2025 Season and Alpine Opportunity: At the start of 2025, Alpine signed Colapinto as a reserve and test driver under a multi-year agreement. In May, Alpine announced that he would take over Jack Doohan’s seat for at least five consecutive Grands Prix—beginning at Imola, and including Monaco, Spain, Canada, and Austria. Team advisor Flavio Briatore clarified the deal was performance-based with “no set limit” on his tenure—emphasizing speed, consistency, and results. The five-race deal is viewed as a key audition: Alpine aims to evaluate Colapinto’s performance in comparison to teammate Pierre Gasly before deciding on a future driver line-up.
Profile & Legacy: At 21, Colapinto is already considered Argentina’s second-most popular sports figure after Lionel Messi, carrying both national pride and international recognition. With dual Argentine and Italian citizenship, Franco draws inspiration from icons like Lewis Hamilton and Ayrton Senna—favoring Spa‑Francorchamps as his favorite circuit. Colapinto’s record—spanning karting titles, triumphs in junior formulas, endurance racing successes, and F1 point-scoring finishes—demonstrates a versatile and ambitious talent. As he steps into his first full-season opportunity with Alpine, the coming races will be pivotal in defining his place in Formula 1’s future.