F1 News
'Perez is an attractive choice for Alpine over Colapinto'
Seven-time Grand Prix winner Juan Pablo Montoya thinks that Alpine should sign Sergio Perez over Franco Colapinto. Rumours swirling the paddock suggest that Alpine are interested in the young Argentinian, who debuted for Williams at the Italian Grand Prix this year. The former Colombian F1 driver, however, thinks that the French team should look to sign another Latin American, Sergio Perez. 'Checo' was recently axed by Red Bull, and the exit was messy, according to Montoya.
Montoya reveals: 'I heard that it wasn't friendly'
Montoya first explained some of the details behind Perez's Red Bull exit, revealing that he was actually surprised Perez and Red Bull ended their relationship so soon. “I tried very hard thinking that they were not going to get rid of him because when they met with the board and saw the numbers, they would have held out for a year and, in the end, removed him at the end of that year," he began on the Colombian AS. "I imagine that the number had to be very high for them to convince him. What I heard from gossip is that it (the departure) was not so friendly,” Montoya reveals.
Perez had a tough season in 2024 and was consistently under pressure from the media and fans alike. The Mexican ended the season on 152 points, 285 points behind his teammate Max Verstappen. If Perez had performed better, Red Bull may have still won the constructors trophy. In the end, the Milton Keynes-based team finished in third place, 77 points behind winners McLaren.
The multiple-time Indy 500 winner continued: “The story of the sabbatical year must be part of the negotiation so that Checo does not close his career. Publically, it appears that he is going to take a year off to look for options for the following year, that is part of what they have to say," Montoya believes.
'Checo can economically boost Alpine'
Perez might not retire just yet. Of course, his tenure with Red Bull was difficult, but he still has sponsors who could provide multiple millions to F1 teams. Colapinto's impact at Williams was doubtless. Sponsors and fans flocked to Williams to support the Latin American driver. Flavio Briatore and Alpine took a quick interest in Colapinto, who is without a seat for the 2025 season. "Things in F1 are not black and white, they are grey. On the one hand, there is Doohan, who has a contract, who theoretically has to do well to stay. On the other hand, many people assume that Colapinto is already the person who is going to replace him (Doohan), but when people were considering Colapinto, Checo was not an option."
As Montoya highlights, Jack Doohan still has a contract with Alpine. The Australian drove in his first Grand Prix at the final race in Abu Dhabi after Alpine and Esteban Ocon came to an agreement for the Frenchman to sit the race out. Doohan also participated in the post-season test after the race at the Yas Marina Circuit. The former McLaren driver believes that Alpine would only get rid of Doohan if he underperforms in his first F1 season. "There is a lot of talk about Colapinto, who may be an option for that seat, it all depends on how Doohan does. What I have heard is that Doohan has the seat guaranteed for several races, and if it does not go well, they can look for a different option." The Colombian said.
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