Franco Colapinto delivered a benchmark performance for Alpine last weekend in Miami, a performance marked by confidence, control, and a long-awaited reward.
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Despite a difficult start to the 2026 season, the Argentine driver found his rhythm spectacularly in Florida, achieving the best performance of his career with a remarkable seventh place.
But what was most impressive was not just the final result: it was the consistency shown throughout the weekend.
Finally finding the right rhythm
From free practice to the race, the Argentine seemed completely in control: “I think since my arrival in F1, this was my most perfect weekend,” he said after the race. “I am very happy with the weekend, everything was executed excellently. I think I maximized every session and we scored big points. It’s a weekend we can all be very proud of, and we will try to do even better in Canada.”
After struggling to compete with Pierre Gasly in previous rounds in Australia and Japan, the change in momentum in Miami was obvious.
“The team made a huge effort to bring new parts, upgrades, and a new chassis,” Colapinto explained. “It was very intense at the factory during this break, but also very useful. I am very proud to have regained the performance we needed and to show the car’s speed this weekend. When you have the rhythm, suddenly everything becomes much easier and you are no longer constantly struggling. It went much better this weekend and I felt very solid.”
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The momentum builds
Even with a slightly disadvantaged car — since he did not have the latest rear wing reserved for only one car — the Argentine driver found speed and confidence at the crucial moment.
“Honestly, the car feels very similar: on my side, few things have changed,” he added. “I am simply very grateful to the team for all the new parts, upgrades, new wings, and the new chassis. All of this helped me a lot to find my marks and gain speed.”
While Colapinto savored this benchmark weekend in Miami, Flavio Briatore was quick to remind that it should not be a one-off feat: “Franco just concluded a very good week during which he performed at the level we expect from him every race weekend,” said the Alpine executive. “The car is competitive and it’s this type of performance we need week after week, from both drivers and the whole team, to reach our goals.”
Briatore wants more
The message from Alpine management is clear: this level must now become the norm.
“We are fifth in the constructors’ championship and we are looking forward, not backward, regarding what we can achieve,” concluded the Italian. “We have a lot to analyze before Canada, including some new car parts that may not have brought Pierre the performance gain we hoped for.”
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