Briatore: Colapinto still has time to prove himself

Franco Colapinto’s stint at Alpine so far has fallen short of expectations, but Flavio Briatore says the young Argentine must be given more patience as Alpine commits to Pierre Gasly until 2028.

Colapinto, 22, was recently hailed as Briatore’s new protege, but has struggled to find consistency in his second half-season after debuting late in 2025 for Williams. His seat beyond 2025 is now in doubt.

“It’s incredibly difficult for these rookies to demonstrate consistency in their first year,” Briatore told La Gazzetta dello Sport at Monza. “Franco has had some difficulties, and perhaps we even overestimated his level, but he’s been doing well lately, and we still have time to decide what to do for next year.

“We continue with Pierre Gasly and want the best driver pairing, but what’s clear is that it’s very difficult for these guys at the beginning.”

Briatore used Mercedes teenager Kimi Antonelli as another example. “Franco gets a lot of media attention in Argentina, Antonelli in Italy. It’s great, but it’s difficult for them. They arrive in F1 very young - maybe one or two years too early - and there’s always a risk of burning out.

Some start well and then fade, others start poorly and then improve. You have to be patient with them.”

Gasly, for his part, framed his new contract as a sign of belief in Alpine’s project rather than a safety net.

“I had questions about my future, but I’m really confident in the team’s ability to give me a car that will allow me to fight at the front,” he told L’Equipe. “People may see it as a risky choice, but I know what I see inside the factory, and the quality of the people we’re bringing in.”

He admitted Briatore was part of his decision-making process. “It always makes sense to stay open-minded,” Gasly said. “At first I told Flavio I wasn’t necessarily in the mood for it, but the team showed a clear desire to continue with me, to give guarantees, and to make me a leader in the project, and that appealed to me.”