The Argentine driver highlighted the work carried out before the start of the 2026 season and is excited about continuing to improve with the A526
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Franco Colapinto put an end to his first full preseason in Formula 1 as an Alpine driver with a full day at the Bahrain International Circuit. At the wheel of the A526, the Argentine completed 120 laps in Sakhir and set his best lap with a time of 1:33.818, which placed him sixth on Thursday's timesheet.
After the long session, the native of Pilar stated that he was satisfied with his performance. "I am very happy to have finished preseason testing on a positive note, with 120 laps completed on what has been a very busy day in the car", he said in statements released by the team.
He also highlighted: "Conditions have been hot throughout the day and it has been great to be able to complete two solid sessions today and a good number of laps".
Colapinto destacó la cantidad de vueltas que tuvo
The Argentine stressed that the team was able to follow the planned program throughout the tests: "We have been steadily developing our program in Barcelona and Bahrain, as we have a lot to learn and understand about these new cars".
He also valued the reaction to the setbacks that arose in the first tests: "At times, we have faced some challenges and the team has done a great job, especially this week, to add many laps to our tally and provide us with some really interesting data to analyze".
On a personal level, Colapinto explained that the final day allowed him to take a further step in the search for performance: "Today it has been beneficial to start pushing the car a little more and to work on different aspects of the setup. We have some ideas to keep improving". He also indicated that he will closely follow the work of his teammate Pierre Gasly, who will complete the final test program before the return to the Enstone factory.
Colapinto cree que aún puede seguir mejorando
During the two weeks of preparation, the Buenos Aires native completed 352 laps between Barcelona and Sakhir, equivalent to 2,452 kilometers (1,523.6 miles) covered. This mileage allowed him to begin adapting to the new A526 and to prepare in the best possible way for the start of a season that brings many changes.
Now, the focus is on the official start of the 2026 championship, which will have its first round in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix, where Colapinto will seek to turn the good feelings into points.
