After competing in six events with Alpine, Jack Doohanwas replaced by Franco Colapinto in the starting line-up. In this context, the director of the French team, Flavio Briatore, provided details about the decision that shook the motorsport world and compared it to a decision he made in the past between Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.
"Even in the past, I decided to put a very young Fernando Alonso behind the wheel(at that time, he was only a test driver)instead of the more experiencedJenson Button," explained the Italian executive in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
Briatore comparó el cambio en Alpine con su experiencia con Alonso y Button
Along the same lines, he added: "That decision unleashed the fury of the British press. But in the end, I was right. A coach is always alone when making important decisions. Later, over time, others join in, as with Cova in Monte Carlo."
His opinion on Colapinto's and Gasly's performance at the Barcelona Grand Prix
The top official of the Alpine team analyzed Colapinto's performance in the race held in Barcelona and was self-critical regarding his performance. "Franco's afternoon was always going to be difficult, since he started from the back and had a disappointing race, without progressing as much as we expected," stated the current head of the French team.
Briatore, meanwhile, praised Pierre Gasly, the Argentine driver's teammate. "He had a solid race, and the strategists made the right call by allowing him a free pit stop after the Safety Car came out, which gave him fresher tires to maintain his position until the end," he analyzed in statements quoted by MotorSport.
