F1 team boss: No longer the kid in 2025

Alpin’s executive consultant Flavio Briatore said that Franco Colapinto, who will spend his first season in Formula 1 in 2026, shows much greater maturity.

The Argentine has previously featured as a mid-season substitute: in 2024 with Williams and in 2025 with Alpine, replacing Jack Douhan from the Imola Grand Prix.

Colapinto had a difficult 2025 season and finished the year without points, as Alpine started preparations for the 2026 rules early. This was in stark contrast to his performance at Williams, where he qualified for Q3 and earned his first points at the second race of the season, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Flavio Briatore noted:

“Last year was Franco’s first year in Formula 1. There were a lot of expectations. Not everything was organized correctly. This year you see Franco, he is much more mature. He is not the same kid as last year.”

Last season Colapinto often showed comparable pace to his more experienced teammate Pierre Gasly, but qualifying was his weak point.

“We worked a lot with him this winter. Franco’s main problem was qualifying because he was as fast as Pierre in the race. He had to drive the car and qualify using his ability, not his emotions. He is growing. He is working very well in the factory. We spent a lot of time in the simulator. We did everything we could.”