{"id":383278,"date":"2025-08-29T19:58:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T19:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/383278\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T19:58:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T19:58:11","slug":"alpine-boss-briatore-concedes-mistakes-with-under-pressure-colapinto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/383278\/","title":{"rendered":"Alpine boss Briatore concedes mistakes with under-pressure Colapinto"},"content":{"rendered":"

ZANDVOORT, Netherlands — Alpine boss Flavio Briatore has admitted he may have mismanaged Franco Colapinto<\/a> by placing too much pressure on the Argentine driver this Formula 1 season.<\/p>\n

Colapinto has not scored a point since replacing Jack Doohan<\/a> at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in June.<\/p>\n

The Argentine was signed as the team’s reserve driver at the start of the year, which had ratcheted up the pressure on Doohan — evidenced by the Australian’s own struggles in the six races he got before being replaced.<\/p>\n

Briatore suggested he now views the driver swap<\/a> as a mistake.<\/p>\n

“We changed Doohan with Franco and maybe he has the same problem of too much pressure to be in Formula 1,” Briatore said.<\/p>\n

“Maybe we put [too] much pressure on him. We need to consider sometimes that the driver is a human being and we need to sometimes understand exactly what’s going on in the head of these, because they are young; 19, 20, 22, 23.<\/p>\n

“It’s our mistake sometimes to underestimate the human part of the driver. We’re looking always for the timing. Maybe I missed something there in the management of the driver.”<\/p>\n

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Flavio Briatore in the paddock earlier this year.\u00a0George Hitchens\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Colapinto’s future with Alpine is unclear beyond this season, although he is on loan from Williams and signed to a long-term deal.<\/p>\n

Reports ahead of the summer break suggested Alpine might sign Valtteri Bottas<\/a> to replace him, but the Finnish driver has signed with Cadillac<\/a> for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

Sources have told ESPN both Bottas and his new 2026 teammate Sergio P\u00e9rez<\/a> spoke with Alpine about the possibility of replacing Colapinto next season, but that Briatore is not yet ready to make a decision on whether to part company with the Argentine.<\/p>\n

Colapinto has brought significant financial backing to the team after being catapulted to fame in his homeland thanks to an impressive run of results for Williams last season.<\/p>\n

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