Amid rumors about Franco Colapinto's future at Alpine, Flavio Briatore decided to speak publicly and got straight to the point. The sporting director of the French team expressed his discomfort with certain sectors of the Argentine press that suggest a possible departure of the Pilar-born driver, who finished 13th in the last Canadian Grand Prix.
Colapinto terminó 13° en Canadá y buscará mejorar en Austria
With his characteristic style, Briatore supported the young driver and addressed the issue directly: "I don't think there are any rumors. The team is fine with Franco, period. Franco is part of the team. I don't know what rumors they're talking about".
Since the departure of Oliver Oakes, the Italian has taken a leading role in the team's decision-making and has become one of the main defenders of the Colapinto project. In that context, he was very critical of the approach of certain media outlets, which according to him affect the Argentine: "The problem is that the press publishes a lot of garbage. It's your fault, not ours. All these things come from Argentina and from the people there. You should blame yourselves".
Briatore went even further, pointing to journalists for generating excessive pressure on Colapinto and demanding greater professional responsibility: "You don't have to ask me because you're the ones who put out so much crap, about Franco this and that. This depends on you. In fact, if you keep this up, it's not good for Franco either. You have to support Franco, not pressure him, if you're professionals and want to take care of him".
Briatore culpa a los medios por darle una presión excesiva
Finally, he launched a new unfiltered criticism: "Social media is full of idiots. You, who have a Formula 1 driver, have to protect him because he's a young guy...". For Briatore, any assessment of the Argentine's performance will be made when appropriate: "I've already told you that the deadline is for you. We need to support Franco".
