Steve Nielsen once again backed Franco Colapinto: 'He needs time for his talent to mature'

A few days before the start of preseason testing, the general director of Alpine, Steve Nielsen, reaffirmed the team's confidence in Franco Colapinto. The British executive stated that the Argentine driver needs time for his talent to fully mature so that he can contribute points consistently in the next Formula 1 season.

After Colapinto's renewal, Nielsen assessed what the Argentine showed during 2025 and placed his performance within a logical growth process. "Franco is a young driver. We have seen other young drivers go through good and difficult periods; he is in that process", the executive pointed out.

In that regard, he highlighted that in several races the Argentine was on par with his teammate Pierre Gasly and even managed to outperform him in race pace. "There were races in which he was on a par with Pierre, and on a couple of occasions he was perhaps even faster. He is on that path, and we'll give him all the support he needs to be as fast as possible", he stated.

Nielsen was also clear regarding the team's sporting objectives. "What is important for us is to have two drivers scoring points in the championship. We have struggled a bit this year: only one car scored points, and not enough either", he explained.

He also emphasized the need for stability in the second car: "We need to give time for that talent to mature and deliver points for us. It takes two drivers".

Meanwhile, the British executive again referred to the team's difficulties in 2025 and the poor performance of the A525 that condemned its drivers throughout the season. "I think the harsh reality is that our car wasn't fast enough to score points", he acknowledged.

Along those lines, he maintained that the drivers' level was above the performance of the single-seater. "When the car is good, both drivers are more than capable of delivering what the car allows. We need to build a much better car, and then we'll see whether the drivers are capable of matching it".

With this new institutional backing and the prospect of a new technical cycle, Alpine is betting that 2026 will mark the true takeoff point for Colapinto in Formula 1.