Revelling in an Alpine A526 seemingly transformed by a substantial upgrade package for the Miami Grand Prix, Franco Colapinto said he was “proud to put in that performance” after claiming his best since joining the Formula 1 grid.
Alpine introduced a new, lighter monocoque as well as aerodynamic updates to the front and rear brake hardware and suspension wishbones, revised floor edges, a Ferrari-style exhaust winglet, and a new rear wing. Colapinto qualified eighth and finished 10th in Saturday’s sprint event, then was classified seventh in the grand prix after starting eighth.
This was Colapinto’s best result since he finished eighth in Azerbaijan in 2024, his second grand prix – and his first taste of racing in Miami, since he was still the team’s reserve driver at this point last season.
“I think since I got to F1 it’s been my most perfect weekend,” Colapinto said after the race.
“I am very happy with the weekend, it’s been executed really well. I think we maximised every session and we scored strong points. It’s been a weekend for all of us to be very proud of and we’ll try to get better in Canada.”
What was most conspicuous after Colapinto’s well-documented struggles last season was his improvement in qualifying pace. He outqualified team-mate Pierre Gasly in both Miami races despite not having the new rear wing.
In the sprint he lost two places and finished behind Gasly, but this was primarily a factor of having to back off at Turn 2 when he found himself on the outside of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
Neither Colapinto nor Hamilton were penalised for first-lap contact
Photo by: Dom Gibbons / Formula 1 via Getty Images
On the first lap of the grand prix he took advantage of the disarray caused by Verstappen’s spin ahead of Hamilton, only to collide with the Ferrari as Hamilton tried to pass around the outside into Turn 11.
Hamilton felt sufficiently aggrieved to give Colapinto the finger when he eventually managed to find a way past, but the stewards declared the contact a “no further action” incident. The TV footage reveals the back end of Colapinto’s car stepped out mid-corner, causing the two cars to touch; Hamilton was not far enough alongside to be entitled to “racing room” under the driver guidelines.
Both cars carried damage until the end of the grand prix, but Colapinto was still eighth on the road at the finish, then gained a position thanks to Charles Leclerc’s penalty.
“I’m just very grateful with the team for the new bits, the upgrades, the new wings, the new chassis that came,” said Colapinto.
“It’s all been very helpful and I think that really helped me to find my feet a bit better and find more pace.
“Since the start, it’s been very competitive, we’ve been up there from free practice without knowing the track. Every session we executed it perfectly and I’m very happy for the points today.
“The team has done a very big effort to bring parts for the car, bring upgrades, new chassis. It’s been very hectic in the factory during this break but also very useful.
“Very proud to put in that performance that we need and show the speed of the car this weekend. It has been very positive.”
Team boss Flavio Briatore then emphasised that this is the kind of performance he wants to see from Colapinto every time.
“Franco has rounded off a really good week where he has performed at the level we expect him to be at every race weekend,” said Briatore.
“The car is competitive and it is these performances we need week in, week out from both drivers and the entire team for us to meet our objectives.”
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