Franco Colapinto, yet another “debut” in Italy
In 2024, Franco Colapinto was chosen by Williams to replace Logan Sargeant in the middle of a double-header between Zandvoort and Monza. The Argentine driver immediately came close to scoring points and made a good impression, although he was unable to secure the seat at Grove due to the imminent arrival of Carlos Sainz. Eight months later, Franco Colapinto is facing a new debut in Italy, this time with Alpine.
Car #43 has been selected as Jack Doohan’s replacement, as the Enstone team was not fully convinced by him, and at Imola he will have his first major opportunity in Formula 1 with Alpine. Here are his words ahead of the “Enzo e Dino Ferrari” circuit weekend.
Franco Colapinto’s words
“I’m very happy to take on a race weekend for the first time since December. I’m very grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given and now I need to get comfortable with the car and show what I’m capable of. Italy is a very special place for me for several reasons. It’s where I made my Formula 1 debut last year at Monza, and now I’m going to Imola for my first race with Alpine. I have a great memory of my first win in Italy in Formula Renault in 2020 at Monza, and then my first victories in Formula 3 and Formula 2 came at Imola in 2022 and 2024,” the Argentine recalled. “Imola is a track I really like. It’s a legendary place with some fantastic corners that I can’t wait to tackle for the first time in a Formula 1 car. I’ll work hard with the team and try to quickly get up to speed to contribute to the team’s goals for the weekend. These first few months have been fantastic with everyone at Enstone, with some testing in the 2023 car and time in the simulator — I definitely feel ready and well prepared.”
Pierre Gasly’s words
“I left Miami with some satisfaction after scoring a point in the Sprint but, ultimately, we lacked the pace all weekend to achieve more. The whole team worked hard to regroup during the rest week and recharge ahead of a demanding triple-header starting this weekend in Imola. I’ve been on the simulator and spent some time with the team, and we’re focused on the upcoming races with the goal of finishing in the points,” added Pierre Gasly. “I’m excited to go racing in Italy again and return to Imola. It’s an old-school circuit and one of my favourites of the season, with fast, tight corners and a lot of history. I’m a big fan of this kind of track where there’s no room for mistakes, with grass and gravel right next to the track. In recent years we’ve seen some crazy races here, and qualifying has always been incredibly important, given how difficult it is to overtake, so we’ll be focusing a lot on the single lap. I want to fight for the top 10 over the weekend.”
Leave a Reply