The closing of the American tour of the Formula 1 will have a special flavor for Franco Colapinto. After a stint at the Mexican Grand Prix where he once again showed his ability to compete among the top ten, although he ended up without scoring points due to a penalty, the Argentine will face the Brazilian Grand Prix with the hope of achieving a positive result for himself and Alpine.
At the Hermanos Rodríguez Autodrome, the 22-year-old driver managed to return to the points positions after four races. However, a violation under yellow flag resulted in a penalty that left him out of the Top 10, just like his teammate Pierre Gasly, despite the pace the team had shown during the race.
Looking ahead to the Brazilian event, Colapinto aims to use that performance as a starting point and transfer the performance of his car to a circuit that historically tends to offer opportunities. "It was a shame to leave Mexico City without points after a very tight afternoon. It was a very busy race, and the positive thing is that we managed it very well, showed good pace, and competed among the top ten, which is what we need to keep doing this weekend in São Paulo", he expressed in statements released by Alpine.
In addition to the possibility of recovering ground in the championship, Interlagos represents a special opportunity for the Argentine due to the closeness with the fans from his country and South America. "It’s always fantastic to race in South America and at Interlagos, as the circuit is one of the best of the season. There are many Argentines joining Brazilian fans in the stands to cheer us on, and I want to make sure we can offer them a good race", the Buenos Aires native stated.
Finally, regarding the characteristics of the track, Colapinto highlighted that it is a setting where they can achieve a good result. "The circuit is truly historic and is a place that offers opportunities that must be seized", he noted. And he made clear what Alpine's objective is: "We would like to transfer the race pace we showed in Mexico City to this weekend and close the triple event with a good result".
Gasly's perspective and his absence in FP1 at Interlagos
On the other side of the garage, Gasly will also seek to move past a complicated Mexican Grand Prix, where he acknowledged it was not the expected weekend. "Our weekend in Mexico City presented several challenges, and in the end, it resulted in a disappointing result for the team, with power issues and the violation under yellow flag. It simply wasn’t our day", he admitted.
For the Alpine driver, Interlagos has a particular significance. "Interlagos is a special place for me, as I achieved my first podium in Formula 1 there in 2019 and, of course, I did it again with our incredible result in 2024", he recalled. Additionally, he warned about the particularities of the circuit: "It’s an iconic circuit, and with such a short lap, the margins are really tight".
The Frenchman's activity will have a peculiarity during Friday: he will not participate in the first free practice session, as Alpine will give his car to reserve driver Gabriele Minì. This is a measure planned by the team, in compliance with the mandatory program of the Formula 1 that requires teams to give certain sessions to rookie drivers throughout the season. This decision already took place in Mexico, when the young Italian took Colapinto's car.
Despite the difficulties of the last races, the Frenchman is confident that the Brazilian track can offer an opportunity to change the trend. "The last races haven’t been exactly easy for us as a team, but this circuit has shown time and again that anything can happen", he stated. And he concluded: "We will continue to strive as a team to make the most of our performance, aiming to return from São Paulo with more points in the tally".
When will Colapinto race again
After this new tough experience, the Argentine driver will try to break his bad streak next week at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The action at the José Carlos Pace Autodrome, more commonly known as Interlagos, will kick off on Friday, November 6 with the first free practices and will conclude on Sunday, November 8, with the main race.
