Alpine believes Franco Colapinto’s performance at the Canadian Grand Prix confirms that the level he displayed in Miami was not an isolated success, but rather the beginning of a period of consistent form.
During the early stages of the season, Franco Colapinto struggled to regularly match teammate Pierre Gasly, scoring just one point compared to the French driver’s 15 over the opening three Grands Prix. However, a strong seventh-place finish in Miami marked a significant turning point, followed by a career-best sixth place in Canada, where he also finished ahead of Pierre Gasly, who crossed the line in eighth.
Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen has spoken positively about the young driver’s recent improvement. According to Steve Nielsen, there is no single factor behind Franco Colapinto’s progress, but rather a combination of elements that have come together over recent races.
Steve Nielsen’s comments on Franco Colapinto
Speaking to SiriusXM, Steve Nielsen said: “Honestly, I’m not exactly sure what it is. It’s a combination of many things, but it won’t be the chassis, I can assure you of that.”
He explained that the change of chassis occurred because the third chassis is slightly lighter than the original one, which is always a little heavier. As a result, any benefit was primarily related to weight rather than a genuine performance gain.
The Alpine managing director continued: “Colapinto is doing really well. He’s confident and it seems like he’s coming out of his shell. He had a fantastic weekend in Miami and that continued in Montreal, so Miami was not an isolated event.
“He has always been talented, we knew that. At times he struggled to express that talent consistently, but based on the last two races, we hope we’ve entered a new phase where he can do that every weekend.”
Pierre Gasly’s struggles and Alpine’s upgrade package
Franco Colapinto’s rise in performance has come at a particularly interesting time, as it coincides with a period in which Pierre Gasly appears less comfortable with the Alpine following the introduction of an upgrade package in Miami.
Steve Nielsen admitted that the team is still investigating several issues that have emerged since those developments were introduced.
“Even now, Gasly isn’t completely happy with the balance of the car, so we definitely have some problems to solve. Some of those issues began in Miami, so we certainly have work to do in identifying them.
“He managed to drive around those problems during the race and did a very, very good job, but he isn’t entirely satisfied with the car,” Steve Nielsen explained.
The double points finish in Canada brought Alpine 12 valuable championship points and further strengthened the team’s position at the head of the midfield battle in the Constructors’ Championship.
After finishing at the bottom of the standings last season, Alpine’s rise has been one of the more impressive stories of the 2026 campaign. However, Steve Nielsen was keen to stress that the team’s progress cannot be attributed solely to the switch to Mercedes power units.
Steve Nielsen explains Alpine’s progress
“It’s not one thing; it’s hundreds or even thousands of things being done better in Formula 1,” Steve Nielsen said.
“Yes, the power unit is very good, but it’s not just that. There are many factors involved. We’ve built a much better car. We said during pre-season testing that our car was much better than last year’s, and that’s proven to be the case.
“It’s hundreds, if not thousands, of details being executed slightly better, and when you combine all of them together, you end up with a stronger overall performance. There isn’t a magic wand. It’s lots of different things.”
Alpine sees Franco Colapinto’s recent development as a highly encouraging sign for the immediate future. At the same time, the team continues to work on resolving the balance issues affecting Pierre Gasly while building on the numerous small improvements that have helped push the Enstone-based squad further up the Formula 1 grid.
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