Colapinto Secures Career-Best Finish as Alpine Upgrades Shine in Miami
Franco Colapinto delivered a standout performance at the Miami Grand Prix, securing a career-best seventh-place finish in Formula 1. The Argentinian driver took full advantage of a significant upgrade package brought by Alpine to achieve his second points-paying result of the season, capping off what he described as an incredibly positive weekend.
The strong showing began to take shape during qualifying. Armed with new parts and a fresh chassis, Colapinto managed to out-qualify his teammate Pierre Gasly for the first time this year, securing eighth on the grid. During Sunday’s 57-lap race, he held his own against established veterans, notably going wheel-to-wheel with Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap. Although he initially took the chequered flag in eighth place, Colapinto was bumped up to seventh following a post-race time penalty handed down to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
This result surpasses his previous personal best; an eighth-place finish achieved during his time with Williams at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Reflecting on his success, the young driver praised the relentless effort from the Alpine factory during the recent break. He expressed his pride in translating the team’s hard work into tangible speed on the track, noting that the car felt competitive from the very first practice session, even on a circuit he was previously unfamiliar with.
The influx of pace has brought a renewed sense of confidence to the Argentinian, who also touched on his ultimate dream of one day racing in front of a home crowd in Argentina. Beyond his individual success, the Florida weekend was a massive boost for Alpine as a whole. With Gasly also contributing a point from his eighth-place finish in Saturday’s Sprint, the French outfit now sits comfortably in fifth place in the Constructors’ standings. As Colapinto noted, having a genuinely fast car makes the entire weekend flow much easier, ensuring the team is no longer starting races on the back foot.
