Despite his move to Alpine, Franco Colapinto is destined to return to Williams, according to James Vowles.
Following his sensational debut in the second half of 2024, Colapinto shot to the top of many teams’ shopping lists.
Red Bull held initial talks with the young Argentine, but these fizzled out after a run of high-profile crashes for the rookie.
Colapinto looked set for a year on the sidelines, with most teams, including Williams agreeing drivers for 2025.
However, Alpine swooped at the start of the year and signed him as a reserve driver for this year, intriguing the paddock.
Rumours persist that this deal may include a clause entitling him to a race seat should Jack Doohan fail to perform.
Vowles outlines Franco Colapinto Alpine deal
Williams said it had “entered into an agreement with Alpine” for Colapinto’s “services of Colapinto on a multi-year deal”.
James Vowles, Colapinto’s former team boss, said the Alpine deal aimed to ensure a seat in the short term.
However, as reported by Sky Sports, Vowles expects his protege to return in the future, believing the deal to be a loan rather than an entire release.
Speaking at the launch of the FW47, he said the timeline for Colapinto’s return to Grove was yet to be determined.
“There’s a period of time whereby I hope he is racing for Alpine. The reason why we did this is that I wanted him to be racing in ’25 and or ’26. The best chance he has is with Alpine, as far as getting on the grid, that’s why he’s there.
“And I don’t mean that to the detriment of Jack. I hope Jack has a successful time. But ultimately, Franco is my driver that I want back in that car. After a period of time, he will return to Williams. That period of time is not a line set in stone where I can look you in the eye and say it.
“But I can say he’ll be back to Williams at some point.”
Feature Image Credit: @AlpineF1Team on X
