Mario Pergolini once again defended Franco Colapinto: 'We can't judge him because he doesn't have a car.'

After the Singapore Grand Prix, Mario Pergolini came out in defense of Franco Colapinto, who is going through a difficult period at Alpine. On his program on Vorterix, the businessman and host asked not to rush when evaluating the young Argentine driver, arguing that the technical limitations of the car prevent people from seeing his true level.

"We can't judge him, because he doesn't have what anyone... These are car races, and if he doesn't have a car, we can't judge him," said Pergolini, emphasizing the importance of mechanical equipment in a driver's performance. "We can't know if he has guts, if he's good, if he's bad, why? Because he doesn't have a tool to be evaluated," he added.

To illustrate his point, the former Boca executive used a metaphor: "If we're in a guitar competition and someone is given a guitar that doesn't sound like a guitar, we'll never know if he's a good guitarist, if he's playing well, nothing."

Pergolini also acknowledged the enthusiasm and hope that Colapinto generates among Argentine fans, but insisted that this is not enough to judge him fairly: "We can be willing, we can be fond of him, we can be hopeful, we can give him time, but we can't judge him because we have nothing to judge him with."

The statements come in the midst of a difficult season for the French team, which has not managed to offer Colapinto a competitive single-seater against the powerhouses on the grid. Even so, the native of Pilar remains one of the great promises of Argentine motorsport and a symbol of hope for national fans.