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Colapinto survives big scare in private Alpine test

Franco Colapinto has narrowly avoided suffering a major accident during a private test run with Alpine.
The Argentine signed on as the team’s reserve driver back in January, having failed to secure a permanent seat for the 2025 Formula 1 season. Colapinto was thrust into the spotlight midway through last year, taking over from Logan Sargeant at Williams after the team’s patience ran out with the American following a series of dismal performances and results.

The 21-year-old made a bright start to life in F1, picking up points in two of his first four outings, but three DNFs in the final months of the campaign hampered his progress.

And having missed out getting a spot on the grid in 2025, he opted to join Alpine as backup for Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan.
He was in action in Monza earlier this week to get a few laps under his belt in the 2023 Alpine A523 as part of the testing of previous cars (TPC) programme, but endured a big scare as he skidded off the track and on to the gravel.
Fortunately, he was able to avoid hitting the barriers – thus escaping injury – but did damage the underside of the vehicle as he drove across the gravel.
Are Jack Doohan’s days numbered?
The test at the home of the Italian Grand Prix coincided with what was a miserable weekend for Doohan in Japan, where he was involved in a heavy crash during FP2. Though he was able to get back behind the wheel for qualifying and Sunday’s grand prix, he was unable to mount any serious challenge to the top 10, finishing the day down in 15th. An identical result in China as well as a DNF in Australia in round one has ramped the pressure up on the 22-year-old, with speculation growing that he could soon be dropped in favour of Colapinto.

Doohan will have another chance to prove he is worthy of his seat this weekend as he heads to Sakhir for the Bahrain GP, where he will aim to get on the scoresheet for the first time. Despite coming into the campaign full of optimism having ended 2024 on an upward curve, Alpine remain the only team yet to have registered a point, and sit bottom of the standings with three races in the books.