Franco Colapinto seventh in Miami with Alpine "This break has been very beneficial for us."

The number eight has a special significance for Franco Colapinto. It was from this position that he started in Baku in September 2024, in his Williamsto maintain his position and achieve his best race result at the time. In Miami, the scenario repeated itself: eighth on the grid, eighth at the finish — but in a radically different context, after three opening races with Alpine marked by constant difficulties in finding rhythm and keeping up with his teammate Pierre GaslyAfter the checkered flag, the Argentinian was even promoted to seventh place after the 20-second penalty imposed on Charles Leclercwhich allowed him to achieve his best result in the premier category of motorsport.

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Colapinto makes no secret of the relief this result represents after a start to the season that he himself describes as difficult: The first three races were difficult; we couldn't find consistent performance, we lacked pace against Pierre, and I'm just very grateful to the team. enstone for having continued to grow. "An admission of lucidity that says a lot about the state of mind of a pilot who did not seek to minimize his past difficulties, preferring to highlight the collective work that made this turning point possible.

A clear direction for what comes next

The key to the weekend lies largely in the changes made in Miami. Alpine has opted to accelerate the arrival of several parts initially planned for later in the season, including a new chassis and new wings. Number 43 acknowledges the direct impact of these changes on his driving experience: “We had new wings, and a new chassis too, which helped me a lot. I think this break was very beneficial for us; we made a big effort to bring parts here that we were expecting later.”

The team's investment paid off from the very first race, confirming that the early-season difficulties stemmed more from a lack of adaptation between the driver and the car than from a lack of talent. Beyond the raw result, what's striking in Franco Colapinto's comments is the consistency of the progress described throughout the weekend—from free practice to qualifying, and then to the race. "The performance was there every time, but we were also very good in terms of execution right from Free Practice. I'm very proud of that."he insists.

A consistency that makes all the difference in a sprint format where adaptation time is minimal, and which suggests an Argentinian rider finally able to express his true potential in this Alpine. "Everything was very positive and going in the right direction. I'm very proud of the team, but we need to continue in this direction." It remains to be seen whether this trend will continue throughout the year or if this performance was merely an exception. We'll find out in three weeks at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

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