At the Imola circuit, during the second free practice session of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, a maneuver by Franco Colapinto did not go unnoticed by Max Verstappen.
The Argentine driver, who for the first time got into Alpine's A525 car during an official Formula 1 weekend, surprised the Dutchman by activating the DRS (drag reduction system) despite having a full tank, an unusual strategy in those conditions.
The situation was recorded in the radio communication between Verstappen and his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase. “What is this guy doing? Using his DRS...”, Max commented, puzzled. To which Lambiase replied honestly: “No idea.” The exchange was captured by the official broadcast and quickly went viral on social media, where users came to Colapinto's defense.
The responses were not long in coming: “He's Argentine, undisciplined said Francisco,” a user on X quipped, alluding to a famous phrase by Pope Francis. Others celebrated the young driver's defiant attitude. “Colapinto got tired of being in the simulator and started fighting in practice against a four-time Formula 1 champion. Go, kid!,” another wrote enthusiastically.
The exchange reflects not only Verstappen's straightforward personality—already known for his frequent radio comments—but also Colapinto's competitive character, who at 21 years old had an action-packed day in his official debut at Imola. In FP1, he finished 17th, while in the second session he ended up 13th, just behind his teammate Pierre Gasly.
Besides the clash with Verstappen, Colapinto had other standout moments: he had a head-to-head with Lando Norris, one of the most solid drivers in the championship, and received an unfriendly gesture from Yuki Tsunoda after a maneuver that unsettled him on track.
The end of the free practice was marked by an accident involving Isack Hadjar, which forced the red flag and disrupted the plans of several teams. Even so, McLaren managed to top the timing charts, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris leading the session.
