Palmer: Sometimes a driver just needs to take a break.

      Jolyon Palmer, former Formula 1 driver, now commentator for F1 TV and expert for the championship's official website, believes that the long April break, which unexpectedly occurred after the first three races of the season, benefited Franco Colapinto, who managed to completely readjust and began to noticeably outpace Pierre Gasly, his teammate at Alpine.

      The Argentine driver's results at the beginning of the season were unimpressive; before Miami, he had only one points finish: he finished 10th in China. But in the last two races, he confidently made it to the final qualifying rounds and earned 14 points. This was partly influenced by the fact that in Miami and Canada, Franco's car also received technical updates, which his teammate got a bit earlier, and now he felt much more comfortable behind the wheel of the A526.

      At the same time, Palmer believes there were other reasons that helped Colapinto improve.

      "I don't think Franco himself knows these reasons exactly. I spoke with him after the race in Montreal, and according to him, it really helped that there was a month-long break between the Japanese Grand Prix and Miami, during which he was able to readjust," Jolyon shared while participating in the F1 Nation podcast. "He said he was driving fine at the beginning of the season, but still lagged behind Pierre, who had a truly competitive mindset.

      The Alpine team introduced a number of technical updates in Miami, and it seems that now Franco felt how the car holds the track and understood how to achieve the desired level of grip. Now he is confident in the car, so he makes fewer mistakes and can show a higher pace.

      Sometimes a driver just needs a little rest to come back behind the wheel refreshed and in a good mood – and that really helps. The Alpine car has also become a bit different, but Franco is handling it excellently."

      In Miami, Colapinto finished seventh, and in Canada, he took 6th place; now he has 15 points and is in 11th place in the personal standings.