Franco Colapinto says it is difficult to show full pace due to situation, as he notes on working as much outside the car and how the scene is different from last year.
Alpine is still to decide on their F1 2026 line-up alongside Pierre Gasly. They have couple of options but the front-runner could still be Colapinto, who has improved off-late and is doing well against his French teammate. They even had the moment in Austin, where he was quicker and he jumped him.
Of course, the team did not like that Colapinto defied team orders but it was sorted after talks and the Argentine understood the messaging. He noted that it was difficult to hold back since competition is first thought. And it is tough to balance when one can’t show full potential.
“I think we managed very well so far,” said Colapinto to media. I fully agree and you know that in instruction it should always be obeyed but also the situations are tricky and I think as a driver it was natural for me at the moment to compete and we went through it with the team and it’s okay. The team calls and the team decisions of course was a different call to the ones that we lately had.
“It was another, I think, tricky situation that we understood well after the race and we went through it together. I think it’s not good of course not having a contract. I cannot compare because I never really had a contract at this point of the season but I don’t know what my decision would have been or how I would have reacted if I had already had a contract for three or four years or at least the next year.
“I think it’s tricky, the situation the team is in. Of course we knew that 2025 was going to be a transition year but it’s been a bit more tricky than what we were expecting and the reality is that we are very close to each other all the time. These last six races personally I’ve been fighting pace and I’ve been quite strong but it’s also true that we cannot show any real personal pace sometimes because at the end of the day we are far and we are a bit too far.
“Those two or three days that we lack to compete with the others are punishing for us and I think that makes it trickier. I think only time will tell. I don’t know to be honest. I’m not the one making decisions, I’m not the one having so much of the conversations and to be honest I don’t want to go too much into detail but hopefully it arrives to a point that I can race with not so much stress and a bit more relaxed.”
While the discussions continue to happen behind the scenes, Colapinto is doing what he can whether on or off track. As noted above, he has improved off-late and found confidence in the car, even though it is still not 100%. He is doing things to understand better.
“I’m doing a lot of work outside of the car and I think so far in my career it’s the year I’ve done the most,” continued Colapinto. “Of course it’s something that we also need but I’m just trying to understand better what I need from the car, what direction, what compromise we are making with the setup and all those things are constantly a kind of a try and it kind of works one day and then another day it doesn’t work and it’s tricky.
“This car is difficult to drive and the compromises we make, I tried to find an easier car to drive and a more consistent one in Austin and I ended up with the opposite and not really helping in the direction I wanted so it’s tricky when you don’t know the car and what each thing of the setup is doing. Of course I don’t have any experience of many years driving this car is what affects me.
“But I think it’s still a learning process constantly and I’ve been getting better lately but of course sprint weekends are always trickier on that side. Having a single FP and not trying much to try is more difficult,” summed up Colapinto, who sees this year certainly different than how it was with Williams at this stage last year. Last year he knew he would reserve in 2025, but this year he is not certain.
He is fighting for a race seat against Paul Aron at least. He is carrying his thing as if he is to continue with Williams. There’s not whole lot that he can say, he is focusing on driving and his own improvement. “Yeah, I think it is quite different [to last year],” said Colapinto. “I think on one side I’m trying to work with the team and trying to understand many things for next year and for next season.
“I’m working very well with the engineers and the mechanics and I know I’m going to be working with the same in the future. At the end of the day it was very different last year, if I would have stayed I would have moved teams. Now I know that all the effort I’m doing is also to understand better each other and all the work we are doing is to work better as a team.
“I think it’s easier this way because we are preparing for the future and that’s always important. No, of course. I think I have a lot of talks and I’m not much into it. I want to just focus on the driving and try to do well on track. Trying to do better weekend after weekend is my focus and I’m just fully into that. Then what happens will happen and that’s already written so not to worry,” summed up Colapinto.
Teammate Gasly sees good stuff from Colapinto thus far. He doesn’t think the Austin debacle will play any role or should play any role. “I think overall as an individual he’s done well,” he said. “I think obviously what he’s done in Austin, it doesn’t reflect what he’s achieved as a driver.
“Was it his finest decision? No. Will he learn from it? Yes. But the nice thing overall is he’s doing a good job for the team and I think it’s important just to pull forward in the same direction as a team and this is what we need to do especially in the times we are currently.”
