In the midst of the summer break of Formula 1, Franco Colapinto highlighted one of the central aspects of his current situation at Alpine: what it is like to work under the demands of Flavio Briatore. The Argentine emphasized the competitive mentality of the team's executive advisor and stated that, despite the harshness of his demands, his presence is essential for the team to get closer to the main protagonists of the category.
The French team is having a much better season than the previous one and is currently fighting to become the best team in the midfield. However, for Briatore, the progress is still not enough. Colapinto realized this after the Canadian Grand Prix, where the team achieved a sixth place with him and an eighth with Pierre Gasly.
"We finished P6 and P8 in Canada, those were incredible points for the team, but after the race Flavio was not happy at all and kept pushing. He was almost the most dissatisfied person in the entire team", the Argentine driver told the specialized media Motorsport in an interview.
The explanation for that reaction was in the gap that Alpine still maintains with the top teams and the closeness of Racing Bulls, one of their main rivals in the midfield. "That was due to how far we were from Ferrari compared to Miami. He wanted to understand why it was like that. Everyone was really happy with the points, but he said: 'No, no, I want more. I don't like where we are and Racing Bulls is also too close to us. They are closer than in Miami, so why is that happening? I want answers and I want to improve more'", Colapinto recounted.
Far from questioning that stance, the Argentine believes that Briatore's constant dissatisfaction is precisely one of the factors that can allow Alpine to continue growing. "I believe in his process. You have to understand him. But I think that to succeed in F1 and achieve the goal that every midfield team has - to catch up with Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren - you need someone like Flavio", he stated.
Colapinto also acknowledged that the Italian's style can be striking even when the results are positive, although he understands that this pressure is part of his way of leading the team. "It's his way of leading. Flavio is a competitive animal. He only returned to Formula 1 to win and I really appreciate it because I am the same", he maintained.
The evolution of Alpine represents a significant change compared to 2025, when they finished last in the Constructors' Championship. Now, the team has managed to position itself in the fight to lead the midfield and is looking to gradually reduce the gap with Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull. For Colapinto, however, the progress made still does not justify lowering the intensity.
"I am very proud of the steps we have taken, but we are all very competitive and we are not satisfied just with being at the front of the midfield. It is true that the advances have been enormous this year, but we always aspire for more", concluded the Argentine.
When will Colapinto race again
After the race on Hungarian soil, Formula 1 will take a break for the summer holidays. In this sense, the category will return in one month with the Dutch Grand Prix. The action at the Zandvoort circuit will kick off on Friday, August 21 with a single free practice and the qualifying for the Sprint, and will close on Sunday, August 23 with the main race.
