Alpine Racing Team is embroiled in a serious scandal after allegedly “destroying” the future of young Argentinian racer Franco Colapinto. The incident caused outrage in the media and the F1 fan community, especially when Flavio Briatore, the team’s newly appointed advisor, publicly criticized the board’s decision and announced he would “go all the way” to clarify everything.
Franco Colapinto is considered one of the most promising talents currently in the young racing system. He has impressive achievements in the lower categories and has been mentioned as a bright candidate for a major F1 career in the near future. However, according to multiple insider sources, Alpine unexpectedly removed Colapinto from the racing youth development program for no specific reason. This move immediately raises questions about internal conflicts and behind-the-scenes political attempts.
The incident became more tense when Flavio Briatore, a powerful figure who had just re-exported to Alpine, harshly criticized the decision. He said the act of removing Colapinto was not only short-term but also a sign of destruction, damaging the team’s long-term development strategy. Briatore has called for a review of the entire decision-making process and has not ruled out proposing personnel changes in key positions if violations or a lack of transparency are detected.
For Briatore, who brought Fernando Alonso to the top at Renault, developing young talent is always an important part of the racing team’s strong strategy. Therefore, the fact that Colapinto was dropped led him to suspect that Alpine was dominated by non-professional factors, which could include financial gain or pressure from donors.
The Argentine fan community, as well as neutral F1 fans, expressed anger on social media. A series of hashtags such as #justiciaparacolapinto and #alpineutofline have spread widely, calling for the team to provide clear explanations. Many believe that if Alpine doesn’t quickly provide transparency, they will lose the trust of fans, as well as the young talents hoping to join them in the future.
Currently, Alpine has not issued an official statement regarding the incident. Meanwhile, Briatore continues to push the envelope, vowing that he will not let any unfair action affect the future of potential riders. This incident could be a major turning point within Alpine, and a sign that profound changes were about to occur within this crisis-hit team.
