Alpine Driver Franco Colapinto Targets Confidence in Monaco Race Weekend

Alpine F1 driver Franco Colapinto is gearing up for his second race weekend of 2025, the Monaco Grand Prix, seeking more confidence in handling one of Formula 1’s most challenging circuits.

Debut Performance and Learning Curve

Making his Alpine debut at last week’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, Colapinto finished in 16th position after a crash in qualifying and an untimely yellow flag that hindered his progress during the race. His qualifying crash underscored the fact that despite his simulator experience and two-year-old car practice in private testing, mastering the 2025 car at its limits is still a work in progress.

The demanding Monaco Grand Prix street circuit will put this ability to the ultimate test this weekend, a challenge that Colapinto acknowledges. “Monaco, Baku, Singapore are high-confidence tracks,” he admitted. “Picking up confidence during laps or sessions isn’t straightforward, especially for someone like me who is still building confidence with the car.

Building Confidence and Adapting to the Car

Colapinto believes that it’s a matter of gaining more seat time to improve his performance. “The part I’m missing is doing more races,” he stated. “I’ve only done one race, and I have probably four hours in the car, while others have already completed seven races this year.

Colapinto has not yet raced on a street track, so he plans to take it step by step and build his confidence through practice. “The only way of improving is by driving,” he said. “I need to get familiar with the car’s limits, and I believe that with more laps, I will gain that understanding.

Adapting from Williams to Alpine

Colapinto also discussed his transition from Williams, highlighting the positive aspects of both teams. “I have things I liked in one team, things I like in the new team,” he said. “Different experiences are happening to Carlos [Sainz] and Lewis [Hamilton], and it’s the same for me.

Addressing Online Abuse towards Colleagues

In a separate conversation, Colapinto addressed the online abuse some Argentinian fans have been directing at his colleagues Jack Doohan and Yuki Tsunoda. He urged fans to show respect to all drivers. “I try to calm them down and help them understand that it’s not appropriate,” he said. “Of course, they have freedom of speech, but they should always maintain respect and avoid crossing certain lines.

Colapinte acknowledged the passion of Argentinian fans but also their euphoria and aggression. He supported Tsunoda’s upset over being blocked by a fan, stating, “It’s really unfortunate for him to receive hate for that.” He emphasized the need for sports fans to behave better and for everyone in the sport to help calm down the fans and encourage respectful enjoyment of the sport.