Alpine team leader Flavio Briatore has contradicted his own squad’s announcement that Franco Colapinto had been promoted to a race seat for the next five Formula 1 rounds from this weekend’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Franco Colapinto says replacing another Formula 1 driver during the season is “never nice circumstances” and he doesn’t believe his five-race deal with Alpine is long enough.

In the hours after the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Alpine accepted the resignation of Team Principal Oliver Oakes, announced that Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore would handle those duties, and confirmed the long-standing rumor that Franco Colapinto would take over as a driver,