Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly optimistic for Austrian Grand Prix

Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto is feeling positive heading into the Austrian Grand Prix at the Spielberg circuit. The young Argentine driver, competing for Alpine, noted the team's strong performance in recent European races, securing points in four of the last six events. He specifically recalled his past successes at Spielberg, including a podium finish in the 2022 Formula 3 sprint race and a second-place finish in the 2024 Formula 2 feature race.

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It was positive for the team to secure another double finish in the points in Barcelona last time. There is a very good feeling in the team now that we are well on our way in Europe. I am looking forward to the next double date that begins this week in Spielberg.

Colapinto emphasized the precision required for qualifying at Spielberg, describing it as the shortest track on the calendar where races are decided by milliseconds. He stated the team's goal is to continue fighting for points and stressed the importance of a strong start to remain competitive against rivals. The team is focused on improving their performance and reducing the gap to the leading Formula 1 teams.

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I have had some success in the past in Spielberg, including a podium in the main race of Formula 2 in 2024, and a podium in my rookie season in Formula 3 in 2022.

Teammate Pierre Gasly echoed Colapinto's sentiments, describing the recent weeks as an "emotional rollercoaster" but expressing pride in the team's efforts. He highlighted the team's consistent points finishes but acknowledged challenges in qualifying, an area requiring further work. Gasly noted that while race pace has been good, Alpine remains significantly behind the top four teams, underscoring the continuous development needed to close this performance gap.

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It is the shortest lap time of the season, which makes it feel unforgiving, the single-lap pace has to be strong because the differences will probably be smaller than on most circuits.