Franco Colapinto faces intense scrutiny as his aggressive driving style clashes with Monaco’s unforgiving streets in this crucial Alpine F1 audition.
Jacques Villeneuve believes Franco Colapinto is a “serial crasher”, something that could jeopardize his five-race audition for a seat at Alpine.
Colapinto has been brought in to replace Jack Doohan for at least five races, through to the Austrian Grand Prix, as teammate to Pierre Gasly.
In his nine races with Williams after stepping in for Logan Sargeant in 2024, Colapinto proved he had the pace, scoring five points, but was involved in several serious accidents.
Colapinto crashed his F1 car during free practice in Azerbaijan, then suffered accidents in the rain in Brazil and during qualifying in Las Vegas.
He also had his first crash with Alpine at Imola, with his Q1 session ending in a heavy collision with the tire barrier.
While Villeneuve acknowledges Colapinto is “quick,” he is waiting to see how the Argentine driver performs.
“He is fast, but he is also aggressive, a serial crasher, so which Franco will we get? It is always a roll of the dice, you never know. So, will he be able to maintain his speed without crashing, or will he need to slow down to avoid accidents? That is the big question.”
“But we will find out quickly, because he had a year to digest last season. He has support, so he already brings something that the previous driver (Doohan) did not have.”
Monaco, a true test for Colapinto
For Colapinto, the second race of the season could not be more challenging, as it takes place in Monaco, a circuit that tolerates no mistakes.
“It was great to be back on track and racing last weekend,” said the Argentine.
“Nothing compares to the feeling of getting back behind the wheel of an F1 car and racing, and doing it at a circuit like Imola was fantastic. The Italian fans are incredible, their energy and the atmosphere make the place truly special.”
“It was a tough weekend, but far from without positives. We learned a lot as a team, and I felt increasingly comfortable in the car over the three days. I explored the limits of the car in qualifying and ultimately made a small mistake with heavy consequences.”
“We started from sixteenth place and really tried to be patient to get into the points battle. We almost made it, we had good pace, but unfortunately lost ground with the safety car, which benefited other competitors.”
“We are heading straight into another race week and our focus is now on Monaco. It is one of the circuits where overtaking is the most difficult, and where there is absolutely no margin for error. I am looking forward to getting back on track, gradually building confidence, and continuing to improve with the team.”
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