Mick Schumacher secures an alpine seat after Colapinto’s five races and starts in Silverstone

In a dramatic turn of events for the Formula 1 season 2025, Alpine confirmed that Mick Schumacher, the former Haas F1 driver and son of the seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, will join the team as a racing driver after Franco Colapinto had concluded a five-race contract. The German driver is to get into the steering wheel in July from the Grand Britain’s Grand Britain in Silverstone and thus return to Formula 1 after a two -year break. This step announced on May 29, 2025 underlines Alpine’s aggressive strategy of strengthening the squad in a challenging season, and at the same time ignores new debates on driver management.

Schumacher’s commitment was made shortly after Alpine’s decision to rotate the driver’s artery at the beginning of the month. Franco Colapinto, the 21-year-old Argentinier, who impressed in 2024 in a nine race, was promoted by his replacement man post in 2025 to replace Rookie Jack Doohan after only six races. Doohan’s lackluster performance-he could not score points and had several falls, including a failure in the first round in Miami-prompted Alpine to act rapidly: Colapinto jumped in imola after the Grand Prix of the Emilia-Romagna. Colapinto’s use was anything but smooth. A fall in qualifying in Imola and a lackluster 16th place, followed by the slowest round in qualifying in Monaco, have had doubts about his operational readiness in the team. Although Colapinto was able to win significant Latin American sponsors such as YPF and Mercado Libre, his five-race contract before Silverstone should still be checked. Alpine has now decided to sign Schumacher for the next phase.

Mick Schumacher, 26, has been part of the Alpine program in the long-distance World Championship WEC since 2024, where he has constantly impressed. In 2025 alone, he secured two podium places on the side of his teammates Jules Gounon and Frederic Makowiecki in the first three WEC runs in Imola and Spa and set up in third place in Fuji in 2024. His experience and constant achievements in the long-distance race as well as his previous F1 period at Haas in 2021 and 2022 made him an attractive candidate for alpine. Former F1 driver Timo Glock had previously recommended and told Sky Sports Germany: “Mick has more experience than Franco Colapinto … He is always the fastest of the three drivers in his car in the WEC.” Schumacher’s 43 races of comprehensive F1 career with Haas brought him 12 points, but was clouded by a lack of competitive machines and costly accidents, which led to his exit after 2022. Since then he has served as a replacement for Mercedes, while he refined his skills in the WEC, which according to sources positioned him as a “low -maintenance” option for alpine.

Alpine’s decision reflects her general problems in 2025. The team, which is under the leadership of the senior advisor Flavio Briatore after the resignation of Oliver Oakes on May 6, bumbles with only seven points that were all scored by Pierre Gasly, ninth of the design classification. The A525 at times showed speed-Gasly 7th place in Bahrain was a highlight-but the consistency left a lot to be desired, especially in slow curves, as Charles Leclerc recently noted in a Ferrari context. Briatore, known for his uncompromising approach and for discovering talents such as Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, directs Alpine’s focus on long -term success, with a view to the change of regulations of 2026. The obligation of Schumacher is in line with this vision and offers a mixture of experience and potential to stabilize the Gasly, which continues to be a long -term contract has.

The change has triggered mixed reactions. Some fans on X were skeptical. One user noticed sarcastically: “Alpine has signed Mick Schumacher, who is capable of two races, from Colapinto because he was on the podium in the WEC”, which reflects doubts about Colapinto’s suitability. Others see Schumacher’s return in view of his F1 descent and its latest WEC form as an opportunity to make amends. Meanwhile, Colapinto’s future remains uncertain. Although he still have three races – Barcelona, ​​Canada and Austria – to prove his value, but the pressure is enormous, especially since other names such as Sergio Perez and Paul Aron were previously associated with the seat. Jack Doohan, currently again working as a substitute, also threatens to be a potential returnee if Schumacher weakens.

Schumacher’s five-race contract, starting in Silverstone, offers him the crucial opportunity to establish himself in Formula 1 before Cadillac’s entry in 2026, where he was also associated. For Alpine, this step is a risk of saving the season and building momentum for the future. If the F1 circus will travel to Barcelona next, all eyes will be on Colapinto’s performance-and for Schumacher’s preparations for his long-awaited comeback.