Nielsen: Colapinto performed in Miami on a new chassis.

      Franco Colapinto's seventh place finish at the Miami Grand Prix is the best result of the Argentine driver's career. Alpine team managing director Steve Nielsen mentioned that this result is partly due to Franco receiving a new and lighter chassis at the fourth round.

      Steve Nielsen: "It's no secret that Franco got a new chassis. Usually, the first manufactured chassis is the heaviest, and then, as modifications are made and subsequent versions are released, the design becomes lighter. It was exactly the same here.

      Franco now has his third chassis. It is lighter than the first one he raced on before because the first one is used for all crash tests, including frontal impacts, and other checks. So we were able to provide him with a new chassis, which made the car a bit lighter. This is good because now the weight falls within the allowable limit.

      I must admit, this season we have been doing well with the chassis weight issue. Our cars either exactly met the minimum weight or exceeded it by just a little. This has been the case throughout the season, and it's a good indicator. Not all teams have the same situation, and reducing weight gives a pure speed gain.

      At the beginning of the year, it was difficult for Franco to match the pace of his teammate Pierre Gasly. I don't know, maybe the April break helped him or the fact that he went to Argentina and recharged a bit, but in Miami he was much more satisfied with the car than in the previous races of the season. I hope it continues like this. I even jokingly told him that maybe he should come to Argentina before each round."