Franco Colapinto is on the verge of his Formula 1 comeback. After nine Grand Prix with the Williams team, he was sidelined last year in favor of Carlos Sainz. Alpine secured him in a reserve role, but in the run-up to the Emilia-Romagna GP, he still managed to secure a Formula 1 seat in a somewhat controversial manner. The young Argentine only has five races to prove himself, but is nevertheless ‘relaxed’ at the start.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said an enthusiastic Franco Colapinto at the official FIA press conference. “Everything is new and I’m starting from scratch. Of course, I don’t know the car very well yet, so I have few expectations for the upcoming races. The goal is simply to boost the car’s performance. After five races, we’ll see where we end up.” Alpine openly announced that the 21-year-old Argentine has been contracted until the Austrian GP.
Experience Weighs Heavily
“I am much more relaxed,” Colapinto compared the current situation with his emergency debut at Williams. In 2024, he was suddenly called up to replace the struggling Logan Sargeant during the Italian GP. “I now have a bit of experience,” he explained. “Of course, it was a different team, but I still have a feel for Formula 1. After all, my last race was in December – that’s not too long ago. My debut at Monza was so exciting, so grand – everything was new, it was my first race weekend in Formula 1. That feeling is naturally the same, it’s still my dream to drive Formula 1, but now I also have to think about the team’s goals.”
“Alpine and Renault have a great history in Formula 1,” Colapinto emphasized. “I love this team, although the relationship after the World Cup is not the same,” he joked. Argentina won the World Cup final from France after a penalty shootout. “It will take more than five races before I really get used to the car,” he continued in a serious tone. “I’m just going to use my time as best as possible and learn as much as I can. Last year everything was really new, but despite the fact that the rest have already driven six Grands Prix this year, I think that last year’s experience weighs heavily.”
