Colapinto Credits Briatore for Mental Growth at Alpine Amidst Performance Turnaround

Franco Colapinto attributes his recent mental fortitude and on-track improvements to Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore's tough-love approach. After a challenging start to his F1 career, Colapinto has shown signs of progress, out-qualifying teammate Pierre Gasly in three of the last four races and reaching Q2 in Hungary.

Why it matters:

After stepping into Jack Doohan's seat post-Miami Grand Prix, Colapinto initially struggled with crashes and inconsistent results. Briatore, who initially praised the rookie but later expressed disappointment, appears to be a critical factor in Colapinto's recent turnaround. His mental development under Briatore's guidance could be key to securing his F1 future with Alpine.

The Details:

• Challenging Debut: Colapinto's F1 career began with struggles, marked by crashes and poor results that provided little immediate improvement for Alpine, who had hoped to 'maximise ambitions' by replacing Doohan.
• Briatore's Fluctuating Views: Initially, Briatore lauded Colapinto's promotion as a chance for a 'complete and fair assessment' of drivers for 2025. However, following a series of errors, Briatore admitted at the Dutch Grand Prix that promoting Colapinto 'wasn't happy' with his early performances.
• Recent Progress: Despite the early setbacks, Colapinto has recently demonstrated significant improvement, out-qualifying Gasly in three of the last four races and securing a Q2 appearance in Hungary, his third of the season.
• Briatore's Influence: Colapinto insists that Briatore's 'hard' and uncompromising style has been invaluable. He stated on the F1: Beyond The Grid podcast, "He made me a lot stronger mentally. I’m very grateful for the opportunity of course he gave me but also for all his process you know that we are going through."

Looking Ahead:

Colapinto's contract beyond 2025 remains undecided, but his recent performance uptick has kept him in contention for an Alpine seat.

• Uncertain Future: Colapinto is not overly focused on his contract, stating, "I want to keep building on this year... I’m feeling better in the car, in the team, and I’m feeling that we are doing a good job together."
• Two-Horse Race: Briatore has confirmed that the second Alpine seat for 2026 is a contest between Colapinto and reserve driver Paul Aron, effectively ruling out external candidates and a return for Jack Doohan.
• Team Performance: Alpine currently sits at the bottom of the Constructors’ Championship with 20 points, all scored by Pierre Gasly, underscoring the pressure on both drivers to perform as the team evaluates its future lineup.

If Colapinto can continue this upward trajectory, maintaining both his mental resilience and on-track performance, he stands a strong chance of securing his place in Formula 1 beyond 2025, validating Briatore's demanding mentorship.