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Alpine’s Revealing Mercedes Driver Comments About F1 2027 Lineup

Highlights

  • Alpine delays 2027 driver decisions pending Mercedes’ driver moves.
  • Flavio Briatore eyes Mercedes roster amid Verstappen’s possible switch.
  • Franco Colapinto improved with sixth at Canada, seventh at Miami.
  • Verstappen’s Red Bull contract allows exit if not second by mid-season.
  • George Russell and Kimi Antonelli have secured Mercedes contracts for 2027.
  • Alpine confident in Colapinto but awaits driver market clarity this summer.

Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore says Alpine will delay confirming its 2027 driver line-up until Mercedes’ plans become clear amid potential movement involving Max Verstappen.

The stance shapes decisions on Alpine’s second seat, even as Franco Colapinto strengthens his case following an error-strewn 2025 that yielded no points from 18 starts.

Alpine will delay 2027 driver decisions until Mercedes’ plans are clear.

Verstappen’s Red Bull deal runs to 2028 but includes exit provisions if he is not second by mid-season, complicating Mercedes’ calculus and keeping options open.

He currently sits seventh in the 2026 standings, 45 points behind Russell, making any mid-season trigger less straightforward than headlines suggest.

Verstappen can exit Red Bull if not second by mid-season; he is seventh, 45 points behind Russell.
Alpine and Mercedes driver market speculation
Image Credit: The Race

Mercedes has George Russell and Kimi Antonelli contracted, yet the team continues evaluating scenarios, intensified by the ongoing Mercedes-McLaren F1 showdown.

With Pierre Gasly secured long-term, Alpine’s focus is the sister seat. Colapinto currently leads that race thanks to consistent execution and improved qualifying discipline.

Recent form supports him: seventh in Miami and a career-best sixth in Canada, despite missing first practice with a battery problem, then qualifying top ten.

Colapinto delivered P7 in Miami and a career-best P6 in Canada after missing FP1 with a battery issue.

Briatore praises Colapinto’s poise under pressure compared to last year but keeps options open, stressing Alpine must track how the summer market evolves before committing.

“We don’t know what is going to happen with Mercedes,” Briatore says. “Let’s see what we have in the house before we proceed.”

Wider uncertainties around regulations and contracts amplify caution, reflected in ongoing F1 2027 talks and doubts shaping team planning across the grid.

Alpine also rides commercial momentum, strengthened by its new F1 partner, while monitoring rivals’ 2027 roadmaps, including McLaren’s 2027 changes.

For now, the baseline is clear: Gasly remains, Colapinto controls his destiny, and Mercedes’ direction could still unlock an unexpected alternative for 2027.

Visual Summary

Mercedes

Verstappen?

Alpine

Colapinto

Alpine’s 2027 driver puzzle waits on a Mercedes move…

Will a Verstappen switch trigger a domino effect?

Colapinto Rising
⬆️
Last 2 races:
P7 🇺🇸  |  P6 🇨🇦

Driver Market
Uncertainty

Low High

If Verstappen moves, all bets are off

Briatore: “Let’s see what we have in the house before we proceed.”

Alpine watches the Mercedes-Verstappen drama before making calls for 2027.

The grid could change in a flash.
Will Alpine’s steady hand or Mercedes’ wild card decide the 2027 F1 line-up?
Daniel miller author image

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.

Daniel miller author image
Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.

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