Hot Take: Alpine Needs a Real Second Driver, Here’s Who
As the summer break wraps up, some big news has been announced: Cadillac has officially signed Valtteri Bottas and Checo Perez for 2026 and beyond. Some of the other teams on the grid are less lucky, though; Ferrari has yet to win a race this year, Red Bull is running on one point-scoring driver, and Alpine is running at the back of the standings as their drivers struggle to put up meaningful points. Is there anything the French team can do to salvage the rest of their season?
I believe that there is only one man for the job: the man, the myth, the legend, and current hot topic, Valtteri Bottas. I know, I know, you’re probably tired of hearing his name as the Formula 1 world is abuzz with news of his comeback to the sport, and my relationship with the Finnish driver can be described as nothing less than an obsessive adoration. Nonetheless, Bottas may be the only plausible option that Alpine has left if they want to find a quick fix until the end of this season.
“Valtteri, could you step up and save Alpine this season?” Bottas: 👍. Photo courtesy of Grand Prix 24/7.
Before I begin to diminish Alpine’s results, I must congratulate Pierre Gasly on a half-decent season. I witnessed his P6 finish at Silverstone, his best race result so far in 2025, and he also secured a handful of points in Bahrain, Spain, and Belgium. Even though he is running a measly P14 in the Driver’s Standings currently, he has earned all 20 of Alpine’s Constructor’s points and has honestly been racing well. However, without a strong second driver to back him up, there is only so much Gasly can do.
Jack Doohan raced for a total of 6 grands prix before being replaced by fellow rookie Franco Colapinto for what was supposed to be a temporary term, but now the driver swap seems to be in place for as many races as they need until a new driver is found at least for 2026. Neither Doohan nor Colapinto have scored a single point over the course of 14 races. Maybe chance is to blame for Doohan’s two DNF results and Colapinto’s DNS at the British Grand Prix, or maybe the issue is actually the internal problems of the team and the incapable car they’re built for this season. Either way, Alpine have driven themselves into a hole, and there is only one heroic driver that is skilled enough to bring them out.
Alpine’s two rookies who just couldn’t get the job done this season. Photo courtesy of GP Fans.
Bottas is the answer to Alpine’s problems for three main reasons. First of all, the Finn already has a freshly signed multi-year contract with the new Cadillac F1 team, meaning that there would be no pressure or necessity for him to stay at Alpine after the 2025 season. Secondly, getting to drive an F1 car (even a bad quality one) would be an opportunity to jump back on track before preseason testing in Bahrain, offering Bottas an advantage. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, Bottas would be able to serve his five-place grid penalty from the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix before his first race with Cadillac, starting the 2026 season with a clean slate. If he drove for Alpine during the interim, the team could focus on finding a permanent driver for 2026 without the extra burden of worrying about their second driver’s performance.
This may sound like a wild suggestion, but I truly believe that this arrangement might work in the short term. I’m sure that Alpine has already considered this option, but if they haven’t, this is their sign! Do you agree or disagree, or is there another option you think Alpine has? Let me know, and as always, thank you so much for reading.
Lights out and away we go,
Lucy xx
