Just hours away from finalizing his return as a main driver in Formula 1, Franco Colapintoshared his feelings about debuting with Alpine, what it means to race in Imola, and what his goals and challenges are for the future. The driver from Pilar will compete next weekend in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
"I'm very happy to start in Imola. It's a circuit I have very good memories of; not only in Imola, in Italy, where I had a very nice history in F1 (he debuted with Williams on September 1, 2024); also in Formula 2 and Formula 3. I won in Monza and Imola several times. Driving an F1 in Imola is something unbelievable," expressed Franco in an interview published by Renault Argentina.
Franco tiene buenos recuerdos de Imola cuando estuvo en F2
Regarding his objectives, he stated that "it's to be able to consistently score points and it's something that requires a lot of work". He also indicated that he will face the challenge of "working on my driving, getting to know the car and the tires. Obviously, I'm six races behind compared to everyone else. There are many things I have to learn, I have to learn a lot about the car. It's a very different car from what I was used to, but I have no doubt that we will be able to do it".
He also emphasized the importance of advancing with the team: "it's important to keep working with the team, keep trying to improve the car to be there, in that top ten we consistently want in the points and prepare well for what's coming. But I think good things are coming. Obviously, we have to take a step forward. Compared to previous races, we only scored points in two weekends, so we have to take a step in terms of performance as well".
Regarding Alpine's A525, he commented that "it's a completely new car. I obviously have a lot of work to do with the engineers, with the mechanics, with all the people on the team, getting used to something completely new". It should be noted that in the TPC tests (Test Previous Cars) he drove a model from 2024. "The team is betting on me, supporting me. It's super gratifying for every step I'm taking. So I'm happy to be part of this team and working to give it what it deserves".
El auto es un desafío que Colapinto deberá superar
He also talked about the enthusiasm caused among Argentinians by his arrival in the top category. ""Since I started in F3, so many Argentinian fans started getting into motorsport, they started to understand more about Formula 3. There were already Argentinian flags everywhere. This grew in F2 and exploded in F1. It's crazy. They come from all over the world and it's something that impresses me a lot. As a kid, I would have loved to have an Argentinian driver to follow and support on weekends".
This phenomenon increased to the point that "there are people who are learning a lot about motorsport, about F1. It's a somewhat new sport for Argentinians because a long time passed without an Argentinian in F1. That's why I'm happy to be able to race. Representing Argentina in F1 is something unique".
Colapinto destacó el apoyo de sus compatriotas
He didn't forget to mention the effort behind this achievement: "I worked a lot and there were many sacrifices involved; not only mine, but also my family's, and all the people who were always supporting me. Achieving it is very gratifying for everyone who contributed their grain of sand. They deserve a part of what's happening".
"Obviously, for me, it's a dream come true to be in F1. Now I've fulfilled another one, which is to return. So I'm happy, eager to start on this path with Alpine. Hopefully, a very long path for many years," he concluded.
