Maria Catarineu, the manager of the Argentine driver, revealed the behind-the-scenes details of the Colapinto-Alpine negotiation and spoke about Vowles, saying: “He has always wanted Franco to have a seat, and he took care of it”.
Franco Colapinto’s debut in Formula 1 took everyone by surprise. In his first weekend at the Italian Grand Prix, the young Argentine secured his first points in the premier category. This debut captured the attention of many, including Flavio Briatore and Helmut Marko, immediately showcasing his talent and ability to stand out both on and off the track, with a charisma that not everyone can boast of, sparking a real Colapinto Mania in Argentina.
Despite the successes achieved and a few negative points during the last race weekends, the young Argentine had not yet managed to secure a contract for a full-time driver seat for the 2025 season. He had to give up his seat at Williams to Carlos Sainz, who was arriving from Maranello, and he failed to finalize the opportunity to race alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, with Liam Lawson lurking just around the corner.
The door finally opened at Flavio Briatore’s Alpine, where Franco Colapinto signed a contract as a reserve driver and tester, threatening the position of Jack Doohan, who could already be at risk before the lights go out for the first time in this year’s season. The news of the Argentine’s arrival at Enstone is the first major announcement to shake the F1 paddock at the dawn of the 2025 season.
In this regard, Maria Catarineu, the manager of the 2003-born driver, revealed interesting details about the agreement between Franco Colapinto and the team led by the young team principal, Oliver Oakes, in an interview with Infobae: “Briatore has been following Franco since his F1 debut. The first time we spoke, he told us: ‘I’ve seen the talent, and I want him.’ He closely followed all the races and saw how he developed as an F1 driver in the nine Grands Prix he was able to race“.
“It was a prolonged negotiation because sometimes deals are complex, as was the case here. But Flavio has always been very persistent, and in the last few weeks, he’s been very intense ,” said the Argentine’s manager, revealing the immediate interest of the Italian businessman and Alpine’s executive advisor in the former Formula 2 driver.
As is well known, Franco Colapinto’s previous experience was with the team led by James Vowles, who had always firmly stated his intention to find a seat for the Argentine within the Grove-based family. Colapinto officially became part of the F1 team, replacing American Logan Sargeant. Therefore, the manager also had kind words for the Williams team principal.
“The agreement came because both sides got what they wanted: Flavio managed to sign Franco, and James was able to give him the opportunity to race, since Williams’ full-time drivers have long-term contracts. James (Vowles) is a very honorable guy, and he kept his word. He committed to securing a seat for Franco so he could race in F1. He’s always wanted Franco to have a seat, and he took care of it,” the manager explained.
Regarding the possibility of Colapinto racing full-time with Alpine, Maria Catarineu remained reserved, withholding her opinions on the future of the young Argentine phenom: “What I think, I won’t say,” she concluded.
Thus, the possibility of seeing Franco Colapinto back behind the wheel of an F1 car during official weekends largely depends on the performance of Jack Doohan, starting with the early Grands Prix of the 75th edition of F1. All eyes will be on the Italian advisor, Flavio Briatore, who has repeatedly stated his intention to remove any weak link in the chain that could hinder the project of bringing the team back to the top.
Photo: BTW Alpine F1 Team, Franco Colapinto.
