In Miami, Franco Colapinto delivered what was realistically his strongest Formula 1 weekend so far, both in terms of outright pace and final result. The Argentine finished seventh, helped in part by the penalty handed to Charles Leclerc late in the race, confirming a steady upward trend that has continued since the progress already shown during the second half of last season.
It was a solid and convincing weekend, made even more impressive by the fact that Colapinto managed to finish ahead of teammate Pierre Gasly in both qualifying sessions. Beyond the final result itself, this may have been the most significant detail. Gasly has consistently carried the role of team leader within Alpine and, in the opening three rounds of the championship, had comfortably stayed ahead of the Argentine both over a single lap and in race pace.
That performance gap had allowed Gasly to collect 15 championship points, compared to Colapinto’s single tenth-place finish achieved in China. In Miami, however, the momentum shifted. The Argentine put together what he himself described as his “most perfect” Formula 1 weekend so far: reaching Q3 in both qualifying formats and finishing Sunday’s race inside the points, while also emerging as the strongest driver in the midfield battle.
In the Sprint race, Franco Colapinto lost two positions and finished behind his teammate, mainly because he had to lift off through Turn 2 after finding himself on the outside of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. Even in Sprint Qualifying, though, he still managed to outpace Gasly, who later capitalised on race incidents to secure a points finish.
During the opening lap of the Grand Prix, Franco Colapinto benefited from the chaos created by Verstappen’s spin in front of Hamilton, before later making contact with the Ferrari as the British driver attempted an overtake around the outside at Turn 11. The collision damaged Hamilton’s car, with the loss estimated at around half a second of performance.
More than the points haul itself, however, it is the performance level that has left Alpine smiling. One strong result alone is not enough to define a season, of course, but what Colapinto showed in Florida carries significant weight. It is exactly the level the team expects from him, especially considering that his position for the 2027 Formula 1 season is far from guaranteed and remains one of the seats attracting attention from several drivers across the paddock.
Certainly, Gasly’s early-race retirement following contact with Liam Lawson — triggered by a gearbox issue on the New Zealander’s car — removed the most valuable benchmark for comparing Colapinto’s pace not only over one lap but also across a full race distance. At the same time, it cannot be ignored that this Alpine, as seen on several occasions already, appears to be one of the most complete cars in the midfield, perhaps even the package with the best balance between chassis and power unit, which naturally helps.
In Miami, the French team introduced a substantial upgrade package for the A526. At this stage of the technical cycle, where development margins remain wide open, those changes may have played a significant role in unlocking additional performance. The lighter chassis, aerodynamic work around the brake duct area, floor modifications, and the introduction of the Ferrari-inspired FTM concept formed a targeted and ambitious development package. According to the Argentine driver himself, these updates helped him in several key areas.
Reflecting on his weekend, Franco Colapinto did not hide his satisfaction: “I think since I arrived in Formula 1 this has been my most perfect weekend. I’m very happy with the weekend, it was managed really well. I think we maximised every session and brought home important points. It was a weekend that all of us can be very proud of and we’ll try to do even better in Canada.”
“I’m very grateful to the team for the new components, the upgrades, the new wings, the new chassis that arrived. Everything was very useful and I think it really helped me find my rhythm better and unlock more speed. Right from the beginning we were competitive, we were already there from practice despite not knowing the track. Every session was executed perfectly and I’m very happy with today’s points.”
“The team made a huge effort to bring new parts, upgrades, and a new chassis. It was a hectic period at the factory during this break, but also a very productive one. I’m very proud to have delivered the performance that was needed and to have shown the car’s speed this weekend. Everything was very positive.”
This result, however, must represent only a starting point. Alpine continues to maximise the potential of a package that, thanks to the Mercedes power unit, possesses a very valuable weapon in the midfield battle. It is no coincidence that eight of the ten cars finishing in the points in Florida were powered by Mercedes engines.
It is also a favourable context that Franco Colapinto must continue exploiting. At this stage, he knows he still needs to find further performance and, above all, greater consistency, maintaining levels similar to those displayed in Miami if he wants to secure confirmation for next season. At the moment, he remains one of the drivers under particularly close scrutiny inside the Formula 1 driver market.
Team principal Flavio Briatore made it clear that this is exactly the standard he now expects from Franco Colapinto every weekend. “Franco completed a really positive week in which he showed the level of performance we expect from him at every race weekend. The car is competitive and these are the performances we need, race after race, from both drivers and from the whole team in order to achieve our objectives.”
Franco Colapinto’s standout performance in Miami marks a defining moment in his young Formula 1 career, proving that he can hold his own against an established teammate like Pierre Gasly when given the right tools. While the Alpine A526 updates clearly provided a boost, it was the Argentine’s flawless execution under pressure that truly impressed the paddock. In the cutthroat world of F1, one great weekend isn’t enough; Colapinto must now turn this flash of brilliance into a consistent standard to convince Flavio Briatore and the Alpine board that he is the right man for their 2027 project.
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