Jacques Villeneuve reduces Franco Colapinto to ‘pay driver’ as results challenged

Jacques Villeneuve brutally suggested that a pay driver is “all Franco Colapinto is”, after Alpine confirmed their F1 2026 driver line-up to include the Argentine.

Like predecessor Jack Doohan, Colapinto also competed under consistent speculation surrounding his Alpine future, but ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Alpine confirmed that Colapinto would remain alongside Pierre Gasly for the F1 2026 campaign.

Jacques Villeneuve: Franco Colapinto a ‘pay driver’

Colapinto has been unable to improve on Doohan in terms of points return, having also failed to score since taking over at the Alpine wheel from Imola. It has been a difficult F1 2025 campaign for the team destined to finish bottom of the Constructors’ Championship.

Next season offers the chance of a vital reset, with revamped chassis and engine regulation on the way. Alpine will also transition from Renault factory, to Mercedes customer status, after the plug was pulled on Renault’s F1 engine project.

Alpine has entrusted Gasly and Colapinto as still the best driver combination to move the team forward, though it is safe to say that Colapinto has not made a glowing impression on Villeneuve, the 1997 World Champion.

“I think it’s very similar to the era of pay drivers; one driver in the team being a pay driver to finance the team. That’s all Colapinto is,” Villeneuve told a gambling platform.

“It’s not the results on the track that we’ve seen from the outside that could justify that extension at Alpine.

“He has shown moments of quickness, but it’s not constant.”

Should Alpine have replaced Franco Colapinto with Leonardo Fornaroli?

In the opinion of Davide Valsecchi, the racer turned F1 commentator and analyst, Alpine missed a trick by not signing Formula 2 Championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli, as Colapinto’s replacement.

The Italian is looking to follow in the footsteps of names such as Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Gabriel Bortoleto by winning the Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in back-to-back seasons. But, it looks like regardless, he will not have a spot on the F1 2026 grid.

“We should call Flavio Briatore [Alpine executive advisor] and ask him why he’s confirming Colapinto instead of taking Fornaroli,” said Valsecchi in a Fanpage.it interview.

“There are a lot of interests involved. In my opinion, we should have taken Fornaroli. Formula 1 should be meritocratic.

“I was third driver after winning GP2 and it went badly. But in my opinion, Fornaroli is better than I was when I did it. I say he deserves a chance in Formula 1: he doesn’t crash, he causes little damage and makes few mistakes, he’s good in qualifying, he wins, he doesn’t complain. Put him in and he’ll have a great career.

“He won before, he won two titles in a row, he won more than [Kimi] Antonelli. It’s a shame not to give him a chance.

“In my opinion, in Colapinto’s place, he would have done everything Colapinto does but been a little faster and without making all the mistakes the Argentine made.”

More on Franco Colapinto and Alpine from PlanetF1.com

? Alpine boss reveals how Franco Colapinto earned F1 2026 reprieve

? Does Alpine have reasons to be optimistic for the 2026 season?

Franco Colapinto was the best choice for Alpine

Precious little will feel familiar for Alpine going into F1 2026, so ensuring that they had some consistency by keeping the same drivers was a logical choice.

Not only is there a car to be designed to very different regulations, but Alpine must also deal with the uncertainty of leaping into the unknown as an engine customer of Mercedes for the first time.

Drivers who are familiar with the team is an important asset, for performance and comfort. Sure, Colapinto has not exactly wowed at Alpine, but neither has the car, and to have moved much closer to the level of Gasly, a grand prix winner, demonstrates progress from Colapinto, which has been rewarded.

It is hard to see a driver out there who would have been a clear upgrade. Alpine does have the impressive Paul Aron waiting in reserve, and as mentioned above, Fornaroli is available, but adding another unknown by fielding a rookie in a season of such sweeping change, would not have been too wise for an Alpine team coming off the back of a painful F1 2025.

Now, it is over to Colapinto to reward Alpine for their faith. If he does not, suddenly an Aron or a Fornaroli becomes more appealing.

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