Flavio Briatore steps in to support his drivers
The standings are far from encouraging for the Alpine team. The Enstone-based outfit has experienced two major changes in this first phase of the championship – the departure of former team principal Oliver Oakes and the driver switch from Jack Doohan to Franco Colapinto – and is currently last in the Constructors’ standings, despite the four points scored by Pierre Gasly at the last Spanish Grand Prix.
After a week of rest, the circus returns to action in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, and the team, now fully led by Flavio Briatore, needs to continue moving up the standings. Meanwhile, as always, the Italian manager remains in the spotlight: while introducing the Canadian race weekend, Flavio Briatore reiterated his full confidence in Franco Colapinto, who is already facing criticism after his first three races with Alpine, marked by far from impressive results.
“We’re heading to Montréal motivated to build on the points finish in Barcelona,” said Flavio Briatore. “We picked up four points in Spain, but we also lost ground in the championship, and that has to give us extra determination to bounce back in the upcoming races. Both Pierre and Franco are working hard with the engineers to push the team forward. They have my full support, and it’s our responsibility as a team to give them a better car and the tools to fight. Even though Franco is still adapting, I’m satisfied with the effort both the drivers and the team are putting in to get out of this difficult situation. That said, I’m frustrated with the car’s inconsistent performance, which we must fix as soon as possible.”
Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly’s words
For the Argentine driver, this weekend will also mark his debut on the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit: “There were a lot of ups and downs for us as a team during the last triple-header. We didn’t get the results we wanted, but we can see the potential and pace the car has when we put everything together. Both Pierre and I spent some time with the team in Enstone reviewing the recent races and working in the simulator to prepare for the next round. The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is one of those tracks I’ve never raced on before, which means it will be crucial for me to get up to speed as quickly as possible to be ready for qualifying. The weather will probably play a role this weekend, as we’ve seen in previous years, so it’s something we need to keep in mind. Hopefully, we can come away with some points on both sides of the garage,” Franco Colapinto concluded.
“We’re pleased with the points scored in Barcelona, but there’s still a lot of work to do to maximise our performance for the rest of the season,” said Pierre Gasly. “Last week we were straight back at the factory and in the simulator working with the team and reviewing past races to best prepare for Montréal. The Gilles Villeneuve Circuit is a tricky track. It has very long straights with fast chicanes and high curbs that require a compliant car and a lot of confidence. We’ll need to improve throughout the practice sessions and aim for a strong qualifying result. It’s a high-risk, high-reward circuit. Weather conditions can also be quite extreme, as we’ve seen in past years. The field is very tight, so we’ll be working hard to make sure we’re ready for the weekend and to bring home some points.”
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Alpine boss Flavio Briatore reaffirms full support for Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, urging the team to deliver a better car ahead of the Canadian GP as the team fights to recover from a tough start to the season.
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