{"id":370517,"date":"2025-08-24T19:55:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T19:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/370517\/"},"modified":"2025-08-24T19:55:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T19:55:14","slug":"f1-driver-told-his-chances-of-retaining-his-2026-seat-are-over-despite-14-7m-sponsorship-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/370517\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 driver told his chances of retaining his 2026 seat are \u2018over\u2019 despite \u00a314.7m sponsorship fund"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The grid for the 2026 Formula 1 season is slowly taking shape.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/tag\/driver-market\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Formula 1 driver market<\/a> went into overdrive last year, leading to plenty of teams lining up with new pairings in 2025, and many stars already tied for next year when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/tag\/2026-regulations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">F1\u2019s new regulations<\/a> are introduced.<\/p>\n<p>There have been a couple of new contracts handed out this year, although no driver who is at risk of being dropped at the end of the current campaign has put pen to paper yet.<\/p>\n<p>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/news\/george-russell-set-to-sign-30m-a-year-mercedes-deal-including-new-clause-that-could-lower-his-earnings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">George Russell is expected to sign a new deal at Mercedes<\/a>, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli likely to be retained alongside him.<\/p>\n<ul id=\"f1-calendar\" class=\"full grvsap-calendar grvsap-f1\">\n<li class=\"period\">                      Friday 29th August to Sunday 31st August\n<ul class=\"events\">\n<li class=\"event event-2435\">   Friday 29th August 10:30   1st Practice <\/li>\n<li class=\"event event-2436\">   Friday 29th August 14:00   2nd Practice <\/li>\n<li class=\"event event-2437\">   Saturday 30th August 09:30   3rd Practice <\/li>\n<li class=\"event event-2438\">   Saturday 30th August 13:00   1st Qualifying <\/li>\n<li class=\"event event-2439\">   Saturday 30th August 13:25   2nd Qualifying <\/li>\n<li class=\"event event-2440\">   Saturday 30th August 13:48   3rd Qualifying <\/li>\n<li class=\"event event-2441\">   Sunday 31st August 13:00   Race <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/news\/incredible-ex-f1-driver-could-now-become-cadillacs-reserve-behind-sergio-perez-and-valtteri-bottas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cadillac are closing in on signing Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez<\/a>, with a deal potentially being announced ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.<\/p>\n<p>That leaves just four seats left to fill for 2026, unless a contracted driver is dropped like Perez was at the end of last year.<\/p>\n<p>A trio of Red Bull-backed drivers are still awaiting their fate, as is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/tag\/alpine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alpine<\/a> star <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/tag\/franco-colapinto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Franco Colapinto<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately for the Argentine, it looks more and more unlikely that he\u2019ll be retained for 2026, despite his financial backing.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/drivers\/who-is-franco-colapinto-age-nationality-stats-height-more\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Who is Alpine 2025 F1 driver Franco Colapinto? Everything you need to know<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2227629980-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"F1 Hungarian Grand Prix\" \/>Photo by Beata Zawrzel\/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesFranco Colapinto told his Alpine career is \u2018over\u2019 at the end of the 2025 Formula 1 season<\/p>\n<p>A report from the Swiss outlet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blick.ch\/sport\/formel1\/ferien-vorbei-chaos-bei-cadillac-in-zandvoort-geht-der-f1-zirkus-weiter-id21164107.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Blick<\/a> has shared more details about the 22-year-old\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p>At the start of the season, Alpine lined up with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/tag\/pierre-gasly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pierre Gasly<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/tag\/jack-doohan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jack Doohan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>However, the pressure was already piled on Doohan, with Colapinto brought in on loan from Williams during the winter break.<\/p>\n<p>Six pointless weekends saw Doohan\u2019s time on the grid come to an end, giving the Argentine his chance to shine.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Colapinto has had eight race weekends to make an impact on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/f1-standings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">drivers\u2019 championship<\/a>, but is the only active racer yet to score a point.<\/p>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Category<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Franco Colapinto<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Pierre Gasly<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>2025 points<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Grand Prix results<\/td>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<td>5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Grand Prix qualifying<\/td>\n<td>2<\/td>\n<td>6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Grand Prix wins<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Grand Prix poles<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Grand Prix podiums<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Best finish<\/td>\n<td>13th<\/td>\n<td>6th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Retirements<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Disqualifications<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fastest laps<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Grand Prix points finishes<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sprint results<\/td>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sprint Qualifying<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sprint wins<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sprint poles<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sprint podiums<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<td>0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p>It\u2019s believed that Colapinto has \u00a314.7m worth of sponsorship behind him, and it\u2019s the only thing currently keeping him in his seat.<\/p>\n<p>The report goes on to say that \u2018after the finale in Abu Dhabi in December, at the latest, it\u2019s over\u2019 for Colapinto, leaving one seat still open in the driver market.<\/p>\n<p>There are plenty of candidates who would love to put themselves forward to get back onto the grid, and it\u2019s likely to be a talking point that persists throughout the rest of the season.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ MORE<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/teams\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-alpine-f1-team\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">All you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2228344531-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Alpine driver Franco Colapinto at the 2025 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix\" class=\"wp-image-132655\" \/>Photo by Kym Illman\/Getty ImagesWho could Alpine sign alongside Pierre Gasly for the 2026 Formula 1 season?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/drivers\/2025-formula-1-driver-contract-wage-expire-hamilton-verstappen-norris-and-more\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gasly is confirmed for the 2026 F1 season<\/a>, but Colapinto is in grave danger of being moved on alongside him ahead of next year.<\/p>\n<p>However, Colapinto could make a case to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/tag\/flavio-briatore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Flavio Briatore<\/a> that he deserves another chance if he can start consistently beating Gasly and get off the mark in the drivers\u2019 championship.<\/p>\n<p>Doohan is still on Alpine\u2019s books and working hard behind the scenes, but it seems unlikely that the team will give him another opportunity.<\/p>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>TEAM<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>DRIVER 1<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>DRIVER 2<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Alpine<\/td>\n<td>Pierre Gasly<\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Aston Martin<\/td>\n<td>Fernando Alonso<\/td>\n<td>Lance Stroll<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Audi<\/td>\n<td>Gabriel Bortoleto<\/td>\n<td>Nico Hulkenberg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Cadillac<\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Ferrari<\/td>\n<td>Charles Leclerc<\/td>\n<td>Lewis Hamilton<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Haas<\/td>\n<td>Esteban Ocon<\/td>\n<td>Oliver Bearman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>McLaren<\/td>\n<td>Lando Norris<\/td>\n<td>Oscar Piastri<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mercedes<\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Racing Bulls<\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Red Bull Racing<\/td>\n<td>Max Verstappen<\/td>\n<td>N\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Williams<\/td>\n<td>Alex Albon<\/td>\n<td>Carlos Sainz<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<p>2026 confirmed F1 drivers<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.f1oversteer.com\/news\/alpine-considering-replacing-franco-colapinto-with-one-of-the-best-drivers-at-the-tail-end-of-2025-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paul Aron could get his chance at the \u2018tail end\u2019 of 2025 at Alpine<\/a>, but asking a rookie to step in at the end of a regulations cycle into the worst car on the grid isn\u2019t exactly setting the Estonian up for success.<\/p>\n<p>With Bottas and Perez set to join Cadillac, the number of ex-drivers still looking for a seat on the grid has shrunk.<\/p>\n<p>Whether the likes of Mick Schumacher or Zhou Guanyu appeal to Alpine is yet to be seen, while whichever Red Bull driver loses their seat if Arvid Lindblad is promoted could also suddenly become an option.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The grid for the 2026 Formula 1 season is slowly taking shape. The Formula 1 driver market went&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":370518,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4103],"tags":[4289,4199,707,101951,4200,4292,79,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-370517","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-f1","8":"tag-alpine","9":"tag-f1","10":"tag-formula-1","11":"tag-formula-1-driver-market","12":"tag-formula1","13":"tag-franco-colapinto","14":"tag-sports","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115085503715605788","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=370517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/370518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=370517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=370517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=370517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}