Franco Colapinto's main sponsor disappears at Alpine

Mercado Libre, one of Franco Colapinto's main sponsors which has played a key role in the driver's F1 career in recent years, has disappeared from Alpine's sponsorship portfolio.  

Although Alpine has extended the Argentine driver's contract until 2026, this year's A526 race car was unveiled without the e-commerce giant's logo. 

The company, which remains in close alliance with Colapinto, is not listed among the team's partners on its website, and its disappearance is surprising and raises questions.

When Alpine renewed Colapinto's contract, all signs pointed to a guaranteed continuation between the team and the company that strongly supports the driver. 

The importance of the partnership was also illustrated by the fact that the team dressed its race car in special colours on three occasions last year: at the US Grand Prix, the Mexican Grand Prix, and the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Regarding Mercado Libre's disappearance, sources have informed RacingNews365 that the Argentine company is currently rethinking its partnerships and its entire F1 presence. 

The company has changed its strategy and is working on diversifying its sponsorship activities to increase its visibility in Latin American regions outside Argentina. 

In line with this, they are no longer focusing exclusively on one driver, and the first signs of this are already visible. On January 19, the company's Brazilian subsidiary, operating under the name Mercado Livre, announced that it would be joining Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto as a sponsor. 

The Mercado Libre logo also appeared on the helmet of Sergio Perez, who is returning with Cadillac, at the Barcelona test. The Mexican driver already featured the company on his non-final helmet design for the test period, and according to our information, the announcement of the agreement could come in a matter of days.

Alpine partnership still possible

RacingNews365 understands that a continuation between the company and Alpine is still possible. 

Behind the scenes, negotiations are slowly but surely underway for Mercado Libre to remain a partner of the team, which will now be powered by Mercedes and, based on the Barcelona shakedown, is looking at a much better season than last year. 

It is not yet known when an agreement will be reached, but it is clear that the issue is becoming increasingly pressing in Argentina.

Since Colapinto made his debut in F1, it has become very clear just how passionately Argentinians support their local driver and the sport itself. 

Fans are present in large numbers all over the world, and the Argentine soccer jersey has become an indispensable accessory at F1 grand prix races - so it is not surprising that the situation surrounding the driver's main sponsor and team is causing serious concern among Argentine fanatics. 

The Latin American country's press and social media have been in turmoil over the issue for days: fans fear that the current situation could adversely affect their favourite driver, just when the team needs stability as it targets progress up the grid.