Axed F1 star linked with shock Alpine move

valtteri bottas, zhou guanyu, daniel ricciardo, yuki tsunoda, sauber, rb, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Axed F1 star linked with shock Alpine move

The F1 strugglers are eyeing up a change to their driver lineup

Originally written by Kevin McKenna. This version is a translation.

Wednesday 2 July 2025 17:00

An axed Formula 1 star has been linked with a shock return to the grid with Alpine.

Valtteri Bottas lost his place on the F1 grid at the end of the 2024 season following a stint with Sauber, and is now a reserve driver for his former team, Mercedes.

The Finn has been linked with a return to the grid with Cadillac on a consistent basis since their 2026 entry was confirmed, but now, Alpine have emerged as a shock contender for his signature.

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The Enstone-based outfit are rooted to the bottom of the F1 standings following another dismal outing at last weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, with neither Pierre Gasly nor Franco Colapinto able to pick up any much-needed points.

But while both are struggling for form, it is the performances of Colapinto in particular that have reportedly prompted the team to seek alternative options.

Valtteri Bottas to Alpine?

According to The Race, Alpine supremo Flavio Briatore has approached Mercedes to discuss Bottas' availability as the team looks to turn their fortunes around.

Colapinto spent the second half of 2024 alongside Alex Albon at Williams and was initially given five races to prove his worth, before Briatore issued a bizarre U-turn on that decision.

It remains unclear how long Alpine will now stick with the Argentine, but so far he is point-less in his five races so far, with his best finishes of 2025 having been 13th-place finishes at the Monaco and Canadian Grands Prix.

NASCAR Formula 1 Alpine Cadillac Valtteri Bottas Flavio Briatore