Franco Colapinto has joined Alpine as a test and reserve driver for the 2025 Formula One season after the team struck a deal to sign him from Williams. The team has maintained that Jack Doohan, who it named as Esteban Ocon’s replacement for 2025 at the end of August, is its race driver for the start of the season.

Franco Colapinto has joined Alpine as a reserve driver for the upcoming Formula 1 season, the team announced on Thursday.

On Thursday, the BWT Alpine Formula 1 Team announced that it had reached a multi-year deal with Williams to sign Colapinto to a reserve and test driver role for this season. The move would appear to put Colapinto in line for a seat at Alpine should anything happen to—or the team decide to move on from—drivers Pierre Gasly or Jack Doohan.

Signing Colapinto is a solid bet for Alpine, but there's no question it puts a spotlight on its 2025 driver before the season even begins.

The 2025 Formula 1 season is just around the corner, but Alpine is not done adding to their driver roster.

Franco Colapinto has left Williams for Alpine, with the 21-year-old Argentine signing on as the team's test and reserve driver for the upcoming Formula One season

Japanese Ryo Hirakawa has joined Alpine as one of their two test and reserve drivers this year. The 30-year-old, who was a development driver for McLaren in 2024, will take part in first practice at the Japanese Grand Prix for the team on 4 April.

The driver transfer market in Formula 1 never slows down.

Colapinto joins Alpine after making his F1 debut with Williams in 2024 leaving the future of rookie Doohan in doubt

Alpine has added Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa as a test and reserve driver, and will run him in FP1 at the Japanese Grand Prix in April. Hirakawa was most recently with McLaren as part of its driver

Let’s charge through the day’s main F1 headlines at breakneck speed… F1 news: Franco Colapinto swaps Williams for Alpine F1 2025 reserve role Franco Colapinto joins Alpine a