Colapinto joined Alpine earlier this year after replacing Jack Doohan following the Miami Grand Prix. It has been a challenging season for him, as the Alpine car has struggled to compete with the front runners, even for the more experienced Gasly. Despite this, Colapinto has shown clear progress and confidence in recent races, which has impressed the team and earned him another year in Formula 1.

The news comes at a special moment for the 22-year-old, as São Paulo is the closest race to his home country, Argentina. Last year’s Grand Prix at Interlagos saw huge support from Argentine fans, and a similar atmosphere is expected this weekend as they celebrate Colapinto’s confirmation with Alpine.

Alpine has already turned much of its focus towards developing its 2026 car, and this decision shows the team’s intention to build for the future. While this season has been difficult, the team believes Colapinto and Gasly can help lead Alpine back to stronger results in the years to come.

"I am very grateful to Flavio and the entire team for their belief in me to help drive the team forwards in the future. Ever since I made my Formula One debut, I knew, given the circumstances at play, it would be a huge challenge to keep my place in this sport. It has been a long and tough road, and I am very proud for the opportunity to drive with this team again in 2026, alongside Pierre, who has been a great team-mate and will undoubtedly be someone I can continue to learn from," said Colapinto in the announcement.

"IFinally, it is very special and timely to make this announcement here in Brazil this weekend. Being so close to my home country of Argentina and an event that feels like a home race for me where I have so much support. To have so many fans on this journey with me and the team is why we go racing and next year, when there should be a reset in Formula One, we can hopefully give every single person who cheers for us something to truly smile and celebrate," added race driver from Pilar.