Flavio Briatore Believes Colapinto Is Now Proving The People Were Wrong About Him

Franco Colapinto endured a baptism of fire during his first full Formula 1 season under the leadership of Alpine’s Flavio Briatore last year. Yet, the seasoned Italian executive now believes his unwavering faith in the 22-year-old is finally beginning to bear fruit.

However, the narrative has shifted dramatically. With Alpine now firmly battling within the midfield, points have consistently become a realistic target for both the 22-year-old and his more experienced teammate, Pierre Gasly. The recent Miami Grand Prix marked Colapinto’s second top-10 finish of the season, delivering a career-best P7 that left team boss Flavio Briatore detailing his immense satisfaction regarding his driver’s development, as Briatore challenges Colapinto to maintain Miami momentum.

Briatore’s Faith Rewarded in Miami

Speaking in an interview with Fox Sports Argentina inside the Miami paddock, the Italian executive was asked about Colapinto’s standout performance.

"Franco was very, very good all weekend," Briatore replied. "He did good in qualifying, and today was very solid with no mistakes. We are happy because now, we are clearly P5."

The result in Florida not only highlighted Colapinto's growth but also Alpine's operational execution. "We were just behind Ferrari, we finished seven seconds behind Lewis, and 20 seconds in front of Sainz," Briatore noted. "This was my target, to finish in the top six, and the team also did a very good job in the pit stops. Franco is driving very well, there was no pressure, and no mistakes. It was super, and this is what I expect from Franco."

Harmony and High Expectations at Enstone

The foundation for this success was laid earlier in the year. At the team’s season launch event ahead of the season-opener in Australia, Briatore made it clear that there were no more excuses for Gasly and Colapinto, highlighting the latter’s readiness to take the fight to his teammate.

When asked about the current atmosphere inside the Alpine garage, Briatore was emphatic. "The relationship between these two is super. The team is exactly how I want it; there is harmony in the team, and now everybody realises that Franco has the potential to be a super driver."

For Briatore, the Miami result is a personal vindication, especially after the chaotic events of the weekend, which even saw Lewis Hamilton’s apologies to Ferrari after Franco Colapinto incident. "I’ve believed in Franco the whole time. When I put him in the car, a lot of people in the beginning asked me… You know the story, but I was right, and we kept going. In this team, I decide, so I decided to keep Franco, and now he’s started paying me back."

The Strategic Advantage of the Five-Week Break

Colapinto’s career-best result in F1 comes off the back of an unexpected five-week break, enforced due to the cancellations of the Saudi Arabia and Bahrain rounds of the 2026 season. While the hiatus offered teams a crucial opportunity to dive into car development, many drivers were left ruing the lack of track time in the new generation of cars.

Alpine, however, capitalized on the downtime. The team scheduled a filming day at Silverstone specifically to garner the youngster some extra mileage ahead of the sport’s return. Reports indicated that Briatore deliberately chose Colapinto over Gasly for the session, driven by his belief that the 22-year-old needed the most training.

Given the flawless execution and pace demonstrated in Miami, Briatore’s pragmatic philosophy appears to have worked perfectly, setting the stage for a compelling intra-team battle at Alpine as the 2026 season unfolds.