The Argentine driver highlighted the improvements that Alpine made to the A526 and assured that the team found "the right direction," but warned that they need to stay very focused.
After the race in Miami, Formula 1 will resume action in three weeks with the Canadian Grand Prix. The competition will take place at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit and will be held from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24.
Friday, May 22
FP1: 13:30
Sprint Qualifying: 17:30
Saturday, May 23
Sprint: 13:00
Qualifying: 17:00
Sunday, May 24
Race: 17:00
Franco Colapinto will face the Canadian Grand Prix with a sense of confidence within Alpine. After finishing seventh in Miami, the best result of his career in Formula 1, the Argentine driver highlighted the team's growth and assured that the latest improvements implemented in the A526 have started to yield concrete results.
"I think we all felt a bit of relief from the improvements we made and because we were very strong in Miami. Not just in one session, but throughout the weekend from the start. That shows that everything we did paid off", Colapinto stated in remarks to the press.
The native of Pilar also emphasized that the team managed to be consistently competitive throughout the American race, something he considers key to strengthening internal confidence. "It was part of a very good weekend because we scored points with both cars. It was a much better weekend because of how competitive we were. So it definitely gives us more confidence heading into Canada", he commented.
In Montreal, Alpine will again present small updates to their cars. As Colapinto explained, the team has started to find a clearer development path after several races of uncertainty. "We are focusing on the right areas, something we have been trying to find for a couple of races. And now we feel that we are targeting the right things", he affirmed.
The Argentine also valued another important aspect for this weekend: for the first time this season, he will race on a circuit he already knows from previous categories. "This is the first track of the season where I have already raced. From now on, all will be familiar circuits for me and that is also very positive. I think I am in a much happier place and that gives me more confidence for this race", he pointed out.
Despite the optimism, Colapinto avoided relaxing and warned that, outside of the front runners Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren, the battle in the midfield of Formula 1 is constantly changing due to the speed at which the cars evolve. "The big problem and the big unknown is that every weekend teams bring new parts and many updates. You can't relax or feel like you're at the front of the midfield because another team can bring a big improvement and leave you behind again", he explained.
"This race of updates and development is already underway and I think this is a part of the year where everything changes a lot. Later, towards the end of the season, it tends to stabilize a bit more. We need to stay very focused and attentive to continue improving the car and not just settle for the points we have earned", he added.
The Argentine driver also acknowledged that the French team still has aspects to correct, especially in fast corners, one of the weak points of the car so far this championship. "High-speed corners are the area where we still need to work more. Obviously, Miami was a circuit more oriented to low speed, but the fast corners there also improved compared to previous races, so we are heading in the right direction. We need to keep working on that", he analyzed.
Due to the characteristics of the Canadian circuit, Colapinto believes that Alpine can be competitive again. "Canada is still a fairly low-speed circuit, with many direction changes, so it should still be a good track for our car. Also, we are bringing new things to make it even better, so we will see where we stand", he assured.
