Briatore calls for further improvement following Colapinto's success.

Briatore calls for further improvement following Colapinto's success.

      "He has performed at the level we anticipate from him during every race weekend."

      Flavio Briatore has stated that Franco Colapinto has achieved the standard Alpine expects "every race weekend" following what many consider to be his best Formula 1 performance to date in Miami. This performance comes weeks after footage from Drive to Survive was released, showing Briatore confronting Colapinto aggressively during a challenging 2025 season. "You are the problem!" the Italian was seen exclaiming to the young driver. Colapinto downplayed the incident. "Flav has been very supportive of me in every way and provided me with a great opportunity," he mentioned. "I don’t even know when that footage was taken, but he was probably right back then. When he raises his voice, there's usually a reason for it."

      The 22-year-old's inconsistent performance continued into 2026, yet Miami might signify a turning point. Colapinto achieved a career-best P7, with Alpine surprising everyone by finishing behind the top four teams. "Franco was exceptional all weekend," Briatore told Fox Sports Argentina. "He excelled in qualifying and maintained a solid performance today without mistakes. We are pleased because we are clearly in P5. We were just behind Ferrari, finishing seven seconds adrift of Lewis and 20 seconds ahead of Sainz. This was my goal."

      "Franco is driving wonderfully, there was no pressure, and no errors." "It was impressive, and this is what I expect from Franco." Briatore emphasized that he never questioned his choice to keep the Argentine in the car despite earlier criticism this year. "I have believed in Franco all along," he stated. "When I placed him in the car, many questioned my decision - you know how it goes. But I was right, and we pressed on." "In this team, I make the decisions, so I chose to retain Franco, and now he's beginning to deliver."

      The Alpine chief also commended the atmosphere within the team. "The bond between these two is excellent," Briatore noted, referring to Colapinto and his teammate Pierre Gasly, who experienced a frightening rollover crash on Sunday in Miami. "Now everyone recognizes that Franco possesses the potential to be a top driver." Colapinto reflected on his performance in Miami: "I believe it’s been my most flawless weekend since arriving in F1." After facing difficulties earlier in the season, he noted that Alpine's upgrades changed everything. "The team made a significant effort to bring new components for the cars, upgrades, new chassis," Colapinto clarified. "When you have the speed, everything suddenly becomes much simpler."

      Briatore, however, swiftly reminded that Miami must become the standard rather than the exception. "Franco has wrapped up an excellent week by performing at the level we expect him to achieve every race weekend," he stated. "The car is competitive, and it is these performances we need consistently."

Briatore calls for further improvement following Colapinto's success.

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Briatore calls for further improvement following Colapinto's success.

Formula 1 | Flavio Briatore states that Franco Colapinto has now achieved the standard that Alpine anticipates at every race weekend after the Argentine provided what can be considered his (…)