Flavio Briatore has set a July 31 deadline for Alpine to name its 2027 Formula 1 driver lineup. The French squad is already treating the announcement as fait accompli unless Pierre Gasly or Franco Colapinto suffer a dramatic collapse in form. Briatore, Alpine’s managing director, praised both drivers after Monaco and Barcelona, where Gasly climbed to P4 and Colapinto finished P8 on debut. “They’re delivering,” Briatore told *Autosprint*. “Unless something extraordinary happens, they stay.” Alpine’s urgency contrasts with Aston Martin’s sinking 2025 campaign. Fernando Alonso has managed just 22 points in the first nine races, 40 fewer than teammate Lance Stroll and 68 behind the Williams duo. Alonso’s best finish this season is P9 in Melbourne; his qualifying average is 12th. Mercedes’ latest engine upgrade, introduced in Barcelona, failed to close the gap, leaving Aston Martin 1.1 s off the pace in race trim. The team’s wind tunnel correlation issues have persisted since 2023, forcing engineers to chase performance with reactive tweaks rather than foundational gains. Briatore’s move is part tactical, part financial. Alpine’s cost cap ceiling allows only one external driver signing; locking in Gasly and Colapinto avoids expensive late-season bidding wars. Meanwhile, Alonso’s market value has dropped from a 2024 high of €18 m to under €10 m in 2025 broker quotes, a reflection of Aston Martin’s plummeting competitiveness. The price plunge mirrors the trajectory of Stoffel Vandoorne’s 2024 valuation after McLaren’s dismal season. Alonso’s camp insists no decision has been made, but Briatore’s timeline leaves little room for sentiment. “We’re not sentimental,” he said. “We’re in the business of winning races and titles.” Alpine’s next chance to showcase progress comes at the Austrian Grand Prix on June 22, where upgrades targeting high-speed stability could swing the narrative. The floor redesign and revised rear wing aim to reduce drag by 3% and improve rear-end grip, a critical fix for circuits like Spielberg where Alpine has historically struggled. The Alpine ultimatum also pressures rival teams. McLaren’s early-season struggles have left Lando Norris as the sole top-tier British driver without a 2027 seat locked, while Williams’ Alex Albon faces similar uncertainty despite a resurgent start. For Alonso, the clock is ticking faster than his contract’s 2026 expiry; every point he fails to score at Silverstone or Hungary is a point Briatore uses to justify keeping the current Alpine pair. Gasly’s upturn is no accident. After a rough 2024 with Alpine, he shifted to a more aggressive setup philosophy, prioritizing qualifying performance over race-day consistency. The results have been immediate: three Q3 appearances in the last four races, with Monaco’s P4 finish his best since 2022. Colapinto, meanwhile, has defied expectations by outqualifying Alonso in three of the last five races—a stat that stings given Alonso’s reputation as one of F1’s best qualifiers. The Alpine ultimatum forces Alonso’s hand. With his market value cratering and Aston Martin’s technical deficits persisting, the veteran’s leverage is evaporating. Briatore’s July 31 deadline isn’t just about Alpine’s future; it’s a pressure test for Alonso’s ability to right the ship before the market freezes for 2027. If Alonso can’t deliver at Silverstone or Hungary, the seat may already be spoken for. What’s next: Alpine will race in Austria with upgraded floor and rear wing. If Gasly and Colapinto deliver top-6 results, Briatore will treat the July 31 announcement as a formality. If Alonso suddenly turns around Aston Martin’s fortunes in the next four weeks, the deadline becomes a bargaining chip rather than a sentence.