Briatore extends 'complete support' to Colapinto.
"Both Pierre and Franco are diligently collaborating with the engineers."
Flavio Briatore has shifted his stance after expressing that he is "not at all happy" with Franco Colapinto. The Alpine advisor recently replaced Jack Doohan with the highly regarded, heavily backed Argentinean driver Colapinto for at least five races. Briatore, 75, quickly denied that the 21-year-old rookie was restricted to just five races, but just before the recent Spanish GP, he acknowledged his dissatisfaction with Colapinto’s initial two races at Imola and Monaco.
"He crashed immediately during the first race weekend," the renowned Italian remarked. "To say I was happy would be a lie." However, before the Barcelona GP, Briatore emphasized that Colapinto simply requires more time. "We need to hold off for a moment before judging Franco. We’ll see. This race is crucial for Franco."
In Barcelona, Colapinto qualified second to last, while teammate Pierre Gasly made it to Q3. Gasly finished in P8, while Colapinto ended up in P15. Ahead of Colapinto’s fourth race for Alpine in Canada this weekend, Briatore expresses his continued support. "Both Pierre and Franco are putting in great effort with the engineers to advance the team," he stated. "They have my complete backing. Franco is still adjusting. I’m pleased with how both drivers and the team are working to navigate through a challenging situation," Briatore added.
Recently, drivers like Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, and Mick Schumacher have been associated with Alpine, as well as George Russell, who is also considered a potential candidate. "If Colapinto is performing, he’s behind the wheel," Briatore noted in Barcelona. "If not, we’ll see.
"2025 is a year we need to prepare for 2026. So we’re implementing any necessary experiments." He concluded, "At this moment, I don’t know if Franco will remain for the season or not, but let's wait and see. We’re focusing solely on performance—nothing more."
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