Formula 1 News: Alpine waiting to see if Mercedes gets Verstappen

Alpine's executive advisor Flavio Briatore has revealed the team is deliberately delaying finalizing its 2027 Formula 1 driver lineup, waiting to see whether Mercedes signs Max Verstappen, which would trigger wider market shifts. Pierre Gasly is already confirmed at Alpine for 2027 and beyond, with Franco Colapinto emerging as the frontrunner for the second seat. Verstappen, currently seventh in the 2026 standings and 45 points behind championship leader George Russell, has a Red Bull contract until 2028 but with performance-related exit clauses.