Formula 1: Flavio Briatore Praises Franco Colapinto Ahead of Monaco Grand Prix

Flavio Briatore, a key figure at Alpine, has lauded Argentine Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto, emphasizing the young driver's talent and the significant progress he has made. Briatore, known for his direct approach, acknowledged the patience the team has invested in Colapinto, suggesting it is now yielding positive results.

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We have spent a lot of time with him, we have talked a lot and we have also had a lot of patience, but it was worth it. This work is paying off.

"We have spent a lot of time with him, we have talked a lot and we have also had a lot of patience, but it was worth it. This work is paying off," Briatore stated in an interview with the French magazine AUTOhebdo. He likened the process of refining Colapinto's abilities to adapting to a challenging car, describing it as akin to "tuning a musical instrument."

Colapinto's recent performances have been particularly noteworthy. In Miami, he outperformed teammate Pierre Gasly in qualifying twice and secured top-10 finishes in both the sprint and main Grand Prix races, earning crucial points for the team. His seventh-place finish in Miami surpassed his previous best result in F1, a seventh place for Williams in Azerbaijan in 2024. To date, Colapinto has contributed 15 valuable points to the Enstone-based Alpine squad.

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They form a good duo. Before we had two Colapintos, the good one and the bad one. Now we only have the good one.

Briatore also commented on the driver pairing, noting the maturity Gasly has gained and stating, "They form a good duo. Before we had two Colapintos, the good one and the bad one. Now we only have the good one." He expressed confidence in Alpine's future, drawing parallels to his successful tenures with Benetton and Renault, and highlighted the importance of significant partnerships, such as the recent agreement with Gucci.

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Franco has talent! The problem was adapting his abilities to the car, a bit like tuning a musical instrument.