Franco Colapinto’s second start to life in Formula 1 has been far from ideal, and Alpine F1 Team Principal Flavio Briatore is already calling for improvement heading into the Spanish GP.
The 23-year-old was brought in to replace Jack Doohan after six rounds, but his first two races have raised plenty of questions. Colapinto finished 16th in Imola and 13th in Monaco, both outside the points. He crashed in qualifying at Imola.
Colapinto also finished last in both Friday sessions at the Spanish GP in Barcelona, adding more pressure to deliver.
“He crashed at his very first race weekend. If I said I was happy, that would be a lie. I’m absolutely not happy. Now we’ll have to see how the season develops for him,” Briatore told Sky Sports Germany.
Since stepping into the top job after the Miami Grand Prix, Briatore has made it clear that Alpine is in rebuild mode. With major regulation changes coming in 2026, everyone in the team is being closely evaluated. Colapinto is no exception.
Briatore admitted Colapinto faces heavy pressure and sees the Spanish GP weekend as a key chance to reset.
“We also have to acknowledge that Franco is very young and facing a lot of pressure from all sides, not just from Argentina. He’s gradually settling in, drove in Monaco, spent time at the factory and in the simulator. This is now the first proper race where we’ll really see what he’s capable of. Franco is strong enough. In this job, you need to be able to regain your confidence very quickly. I hope he manages that soon and gets back on track.”
Rosberg says Colapinto is in a tough spot ahead of the F1 Spanish GP
Nico Rosberg believes Colapinto may already be falling out of favour with Briatore. With limited experience and high pressure, Colapinto now faces a mental challenge as much as a performance one.
“Colapinto is currently on the wrong side of Flavio, and that’s not where you want to be,” Rosberg said on Sky Sports Germany. “Flavio completely ignores his number two drivers. He doesn’t care about them at all. But with his number one drivers, he treats them like pets. It’s really extreme with Flavio.”
Rosberg added that staying composed in that environment is incredibly difficult, especially for someone new to the grid.
“Mentally, it’s an enormous challenge.”
Ralf Schumacher believes the 2025 season isn’t about development, it’s about proving who deserves a future seat. For a rookie like Colapinto, that makes every weekend feel like an audition.
“2025 is a transitional year for Flavio and Alpine. In 2026, he wants to put together the best possible team, including the drivers. Right now, he’s giving the drivers races to prove themselves, and then he’ll make a decision. That’s obviously brutal for a driver. If you did that to Lando Norris, he’d probably just start driving backwards in circles. Not everyone can cope with that. It’s a tough school, not exactly a fun time for a young man.”
Alpine eyes the future with Colapinto under pressure at the Spanish GP
Alpine is currently ninth in the Constructors standings with seven points, all scored by Pierre Gasly. While the results have been disappointing so far, Briatore remains confident about the long-term plan and believes the upcoming regulation changes are the reset Alpine needs.
“In 2026 we can win races, I guarantee it. And in 2027 we want to be title contenders,” Briatore told Le Monde.
Briatore believes the 2026 regulation changes will give Alpine a real chance to close the gap to the front.
“From next year onwards, there are no more excuses, we must be competitive. We owe that to Renault. We’re in this sport to win, and when the new generation of race cars arrives in 2026, the teams who best interpret the rules will have the upper hand,” he added.
“The easiest shortcut to victory would be signing Max Verstappen. But we can’t do that. We have to work with what we’ve got.”
For now, that includes Colapinto. With another tough Spanish GP underway, Colapinto must improve quickly to stay in Alpine’s plans for the future.
Barcelona could be the race that turns things around or the one that puts his future even further in doubt. With pressure building from both inside the team and the outside world, this could be a defining moment in Colapinto’s rookie season.
