Valtteri Bottas changing Franco Colapinto? Alpine set the report straight

Flavio Briatore says Valtteri Bottas was by no means a critical candidate for an F1 drive with Alpine earlier than signing with Cadillac.

Bottas, a 10-time grand prix winner, has sealed a full-time return to the F1 grid subsequent season with the brand new Cadillac crew, the place he might be partnered by fellow sidelined driver Sergio Perez, who was dropped by Crimson Bull on the finish of final 12 months.

Alpine reportedly enquired concerning the availability of the present Mercedes reserve as they proceed to weigh up their driver choices for this 12 months and past, with Bottas confirming he did maintain talks with the crew earlier than deciding on Cadillac.

Nevertheless, de facto Alpine boss Briatore insisted a transfer for the 36-year-old Finn was by no means actually on the playing cards.

“I talked with lots of people,” Briatore conceded on the Dutch Grand Prix, the place Crash.web are on the bottom. “I talked with Bottas as effectively. We talked with Toto as effectively on the time, however actually, there was by no means a dialogue for Bottas to drive for Alpine.

“I believe Alpine helped Bottas a bit bit to signal the contract with Cadillac. We did some advertising and marketing. However that is the rationale, actually.

“I like Valtteri as a result of he’s an excellent driver. And what Toto says is precisely the identical. He was unfortunate to be in Mercedes similtaneously Lewis, when Lewis was actually on the peak of his driving.

“We have now a unique thought, but it surely’s good to have Valtteri again. It’s good to have a driver again with a number of expertise, however I’m searching for one thing else.”

Doubt solid on Franco Colapinto’s future

Briatore solid additional doubt on Franco Colapinto’s future by admitting the Argentine has not met expectations following a massively troublesome begin to life on the crew.

Alpine purchased Colapinto out of his Williams contract and positioned him in Jack Doohan’s seat after the opening six races of the 2025 F1 season, however he has struggled alongside Pierre Gasly and is but to attain some extent.

“I believe I see every thing already. I don’t have to see something anymore,” Briatore replied when requested what he must see from Colapinto to retain his seat.

“It’s troublesome. For this driver, it’s very troublesome to deal with this automotive. These vehicles are very, very heavy, very fast. And for a younger driver to place in Method 1, possibly it was not the timing to have Franco in Method 1.

“Possibly he wants one other 12 months or two to be a part of Method 1. And I do know that, in the long run, what’s essential is the consequence. He tries very arduous. He tries very arduous with the engineers to please them in every thing, but it surely’s not what I count on from Colapinto.

Briatore added: “We modified Doohan with Franco Colapinto and possibly Colapinto has an excessive amount of strain to be in Method 1.

“He had two or three races with [Williams] and he did very effectively however possibly to be within the crew with driver like Pierre and all the time in competitors together with his team-mate, possibly we put an excessive amount of strain on him.

“Someday we [forget] that the driving force is a human being, and we want a while to grasp precisely what’s happening.

“As a result of they’re younger youngsters, 19, 20, 22, 23. I believe our errors try to underestimate the human a part of the life.

“I do know we’re all the time searching for the timing. Possibly I missed one thing within the administration of the driving force for the longer term.”