Alpine to Decide on 2026 F1 Driver in November

Alpine is set to finalize its decision on its second driver for the 2026 F1 season in November this year.

The French team has announced that Pierre Gasly has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the team until the end of the 2028 season.

With Gasly's future secured, the focus now shifts to who will be his teammate for the 2026 season.

The current occupant of the seat is Franco Colapinto, who was brought in to replace Jack Doohan after the Australian driver struggled at the Italian GP.

However, Colapinto has yet to impress in his 10-race stint with the team, failing to score a single point, while Gasly has been the team's sole points-scorer with 13 points to his name.

The decision of whether to retain Colapinto or look elsewhere will be made by the end of November, with CEO Flavio Briatore softening his stance on the young driver.

Colapinto has shown improvement in the last three to four races, with Briatore stating that the Argentine driver is doing a good job and has consistency in his performances.

However, Briatore also emphasized that a decision will be made before the end of the season, giving Colapinto a chance to prove himself further.

The decision on who will partner Gasly for the 2026 season will be a crucial one for the team, with several options available.

One option is to retain Colapinto, while others could include calling up Paul Aron, who has shown potential in his limited outings with the team.

Alternatively, the team could also look to other options, including Fred Vesti, who could potentially join the team after partnering with Mercedes in the engine department.