Alpine team boss Flavio Briatore has set his expectations for Franco Colapinto as the Argentinian embarks on his first full Formula 1 season in 2026.
2025 marked a difficult season for Colapinto, who replaced Jack Doohan from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The 22-year-old ended the season with zero points finishes and was continually outperformed by his experienced team-mate Pierre Gasly.
Despite the growing scrutiny over the young driver, Alpine decided to stick by Colapinto for the 2026 season.
However, as the Argentine approaches his first full F1 season this year, Briatorie has highlighted his expectations and hopes for him, particularly emphasising that Colapinto is ‘no longer a child’ and that, in turn, he should have stronger performances in store this season.
“Last year was Franco’s first year in Formula 1,” Briatore explained.
“There were a lot of expectations, this and that. Everything was not managed properly.
“This year, you see Franco’s face, and he is much more mature. He’s no longer like the child last year.”
Franco Colapinto to build on last year’s mistakes
His main struggles last year during qualifying: Franco Colapinto consistently qualified at the back of the field, making it difficult to progress on Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Although his race pace was often similar to that of Gasly’s, Colapinto ended the season trailing Gasly 17–5 in their qualifying head-to-head.
However, Briatore highlighted that over the winter break, Colapinto spent time working on his qualifying performances ahead of the 2026 season.
“We spent a lot of time with him this winter,” Briatore added.
“Franco’s main problem was qualifying, because in the race, he was quick, like Pierre.
“He just needed to drive the car and qualify using his talent, not drive it emotionally. He’s growing.
He’s very good in the factory. We spent a lot of time in the simulator, a lot of time in the simulator. We’ve done everything it’s possible to do.”
Colapinto furthered this sentiment, stating that Alpine must deliver performances across the 2026 season, and that starts with his own qualifying results.
“As a team, there are no more excuses,” Colapinto stated.
“The power unit has changed and the regulations have changed. Now we have to put the work in and deliver performance.
“Last year we were focusing on 2026, and now 2026 has arrived. It’s time to go and get the results the team deserves.
“Everyone has been working very hard. Hopefully it’s a quick car. It looks good, hopefully it’s fast, and we can achieve the results we expect.”
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