Franco Colapinto had a decent outing on his return to Formula 1 at Imola in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, held last Sunday at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. This was particularly impressive considering that he was driving his new car for the first time this year, while the rest of the grid was already facing its seventh race of the season.
The Argentine driver finished 16th in his debut with Alpine. Franco Colapinto heads to Monaco with a pass in Imola: “We had the pace.”
Franco Colapinto was able to recover after Saturday’s accident in qualifying, in which he suffered a heavy blow with no consequences other than severe damage to his car, which meant that his team of mechanics had to spend the afternoon repairing the damage.
Despite this setback, Alpine wanted to put out any internal fires. Flavio Briatore, the team’s new strongman and Colapinto’s main supporter, came out to firmly back the Argentine driver: “Franco is getting to know the car and is doing a great job with the team and the engineers,” he said.
Briatore himself downplayed the mistake at Imola, explaining that it was an attempt to “push the limits in very tight spaces” and revealed that he had a private conversation with the driver after the accident: “He’ll soon turn the page and come back stronger,” he said. But with no major consequences, his ‘43’ was ready to take part in the race with a single goal: to get the car to the finish line.
And he did just that. Even in a race full of surprises, with several Safety Cars, a Virtual Safety Car and a difficult track for a driver with so little experience, Franco proved his worth and not only achieved the goal of finishing the race, but also showed, little by little, that the pace will come. It’s true that he was far behind his teammate Gasly throughout the weekend, but the Frenchman is now in his second full season with Alpine, so he already knows the ins and outs of a car that has grown as the season has progressed. In any case, his race times were not too far off those of his teammate.
“The most important thing is that we had the pace and that compared to those around us we were very strong, so that’s the main thing. Now we have to work to continue learning and understanding the car a little more. I think we have good data to go into the next races with a little more knowledge,” he admitted.
He faces the race in Monaco with the opportunity for Alpine to catch up with the rest
At the moment, Alpine is carrying significant baggage, as its Renault engine (the only car using French power units) is well behind the rest, being the least impressive Power Unit among those of Mercedes, Honda, and Ferrari.
However, this disadvantage may not affect it too much next weekend in Monaco, as it is a street circuit like the one in the Principality, surrounded by guardrails, walls, and with no escape routes. In other words, those with better engines are unlikely to make much of a difference. Although qualifying is always key in Monte Carlo, the mandatory pit stops could change strategies, something else Alpine needs to improve on, as Imola was not the best in that regard either.
In any case, Monaco will be Franco Colapinto’s second race with Alpine on a circuit that is as historic as it is complex. Although he has never driven on the Principality’s narrow track in an F1 car, he has done so in lower categories, where he achieved good results.
His first experience there was in the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019. At that time, he was racing for FA Racing by Drivex, Fernando Alonso’s team. He won the first race and finished second in the second.
In 2023, he returned to the Principality circuit with MP Motorsport in Formula 3. In the sprint race, he was close to finishing on the podium, finishing fourth, with the distinction of making the only overtaking maneuver of that mini-race: he passed Taylor Barnard on the famous hotel corner. In the main race, on the other hand, he finished sixth.
The following year, also with MP Motorsport but in F2, he returned to the Monaco track. He finished fifth in the sprint and 13th in the race. A positive note for him is that he has never crashed on a circuit prone to incidents due to the proximity of the walls.
The driver’s skill will be key in Monaco
Beyond previous experience, which always counts, in Formula 1 the context is different. The cars are bigger, the drivers are better, and the pressure is much greater.
All in all, this weekend will be crucial for Franco Colapinto. He will have no margin for error in Monaco, a circuit that by its very nature does not allow for mistakes. A crash or accident here could complicate his aspirations to secure a permanent seat at Alpine for the rest of the season.
In any case, as we say, Monte Carlo is a track where all the cars are on a level playing field and, in most cases, the driver’s skill is even more apparent. So here, the Argentine driver has the chance to show the F1 world once again that he is the right man to stay and achieve great things. But first, one step at a time. Finishing the race again with good pace and the car intact will be a great achievement.