Briatore calls for more following Colapinto's breakthrough.

Briatore calls for more following Colapinto's breakthrough.

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

      Flavio Briatore stated that Franco Colapinto has now reached the performance level Alpine expects "every race weekend" after the Argentine showcased arguably his best Formula 1 performance so far in Miami. This outcome came just weeks after footage from Drive to Survive showed Briatore confronting Colapinto angrily during a challenging 2025 season. "You are the problem!" the Italian was seen yelling at the young driver. Colapinto downplayed the incident. "Flav has been very supportive of me in every way, and he provided me with a great opportunity," he remarked. "I'm not even sure when it was filmed, but he was probably right at that moment. When he raises his voice at me, there's usually a reason for it."

      The 22-year-old continued to display mixed performances into 2026, but Miami might have marked a pivotal moment. Colapinto achieved a career-best P7 as Alpine emerged as a surprising competitor behind the top four teams. "Franco was exceptionally good all weekend," Briatore told Fox Sports Argentina. "He performed well in qualifying, and today was very solid with no errors. We're pleased because now we clearly sit at P5. We were just behind Ferrari, finishing seven seconds behind Lewis, and 20 seconds ahead of Sainz. This is what I aimed for."

      "Franco is driving exceptionally well, with no pressures and no mistakes. It was fantastic, and this is what I expect from Franco." Briatore also emphasized that he never questioned his choice to keep the Argentine in the car despite earlier criticism this year. "I've always believed in Franco," he said. "When I placed him in the car, many people questioned me—you're familiar with the story. But I was correct, and we persevered."

      "In this team, I'm the one making decisions, so I opted to retain Franco, and now he's starting to repay my faith." The Alpine boss also commended the team's atmosphere. "The relationship between these two is excellent," Briatore said, referring to Colapinto and teammate Pierre Gasly, who experienced a frightening rollover crash on Sunday in Miami. "Now everyone recognizes that Franco has the potential to be a top driver."

      Colapinto reflected on his performance in Miami: "I think this has been my most flawless weekend since joining F1." After facing challenges earlier in the season, he noted that Alpine's upgrades changed the scenario. "The team made a significant effort to introduce new parts and upgrades, new chassis," Colapinto detailed. "When you have the pace, everything suddenly becomes much easier."

      However, Briatore quickly cautioned that Miami must become the standard and not just an anomaly. "Franco has concluded a really great week where he has performed at the level we expect from him every race weekend," he stated. "The car is competitive, and these are the types of performances we need consistently."

Briatore calls for more following Colapinto's breakthrough.

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Briatore calls for more following Colapinto's breakthrough.

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