Rumours of Franco Colapinto’s promotion at Alpine reignited after a hot mic moment on the Argentine news channel A24. During the broadcast, Horacio Marin—President and CEO of YPF, one of Colapinto’s key personal sponsors—appeared to allude to the Argentine’s return to racing, sparking fresh speculation about his future.
The remark quickly circulated online, sparking speculation that Colapinto could be in line for a full-time role within the Alpine F1 setup.The incident came just weeks after speculation about the 21-year-old replacing Jack Doohan at Team Enstone had seemingly died down.
Marin’s mic mishap
Horacio Marin, President and CEO of Argentine energy company YPF, appeared live on Argentine cable news channel A24 with host Eduardo Feinmann in the lead-up to the Miami Grand Prix. Feinmann pressed Marin for any insight into Franco Colapinto’s Formula 1 future, pointedly asking when the 21-year-old might “debut” for Alpine. As the interviewer floated the possibility of a return in Miami, Marin sidestepped the question, replying with a vague “I don’t know [it].”
However, as the segment ended and the show transitioned to its next story, a hot mic picked up Marin leaning toward Feinmann and quietly saying, “In Imola.”
The offhand comment, made during a brief break in programming, quickly sparked speculation. Many now believe Colapinto could make a surprise return to the F1 grid at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
Colapinto’s journey to Alpine
Colapinto’s journey to F1 has been anything but ordinary. The Argentine stepped in for Logan Sargeant at Williams in August 2024, taking over the FW46 for a nine-race stint during his rookie Formula 2 season as part of the Williams Racing Academy.
However, despite showing promise, he could not secure a full-time seat for 2025, as most teams had already finalised their 2025 line-ups by season’s end. Although Williams initially offered him a reserve driver role, Colapinto made a strategic move to Alpine, hoping it would accelerate his return to a full-time Formula 1 seat.
Colapinto’s suddent move to Alpine ignited speculation about his and Doohan’s future in the the sport. While Doohan signed with Alpine for the 2025 season in August 2024, as replacement for the outgoing Esteban Ocon, now at Haas, Colapinto’s recent race experience made him a compelling alternative. His proven capability at the top level cast fresh doubt over Doohan’s security within the team, fueling rumours that Alpine might favour the more race-tested Argentine.
With Doohan off to a difficult and underwhelming start in his rookie F1 season, rumours of Colapinto earning a promotion within the Alpine ranks have persisted.
Is Doohan on thin ice?
Marin’s comments, and the recent speculation, follow a public show of support from Alpine Team Principal Oliver Oakes, who recently reaffirmed his faith in Doohan, despite his unfortunate start to the 2025 F1 season.
While speaking to the media after the 2025 F1 Saudi Arabian GP, Oakes said, “He’s done a good job this weekend.”
“And I think in general, I know Japan FP caught him out a bit, but I think this weekend, particularly throughout qualifying – sort of Q1, first run of Q2, I think the last run in Q2 is a little bit disappointing because I think it was just half a tenth.”
“But then in the race as well, those first two stints, he was doing a really good job. I think at the end there, I think it was tricky. The Safety Car bumps everyone up, competitiveness-wise, it was hard with those cars around.”
“But he’s had a good weekend,” Oakes concluded.
