Briatore praised Colapinto and is betting on the duo with Gasly for 2026

Despite his initial criticism, Alpine’s agent changed his mind about Colapinto and is betting on pairing the Argentine rider with Gasly

12/12/2025 – 7:17 p.m

The managing advisor of alpine, Flavio Briatoreoffered new and powerful statements about Franco Colapintowhich reveal a profound change in the Argentine driver’s internal assessment ahead of the 2026 season. The Italian leader, who had expressed doubts in the first months of the relationship, now claims that the rider from Buenos Aires has become a key figure in the French team’s sporting project.

Flavio Briatore’s relationship with Franco Colapinto: from doubts to complete trust

In the early stages of the relationship, Briatore had criticized the Argentine’s performance. The Italian thought about it “Maybe it wasn’t the right time to have Franco in Formula 1 and he needed another year.”while expressing his disagreement and adding this “I’m not happy if you look at the results, that’s the most important thing”.

However, the panorama changed afterwards 11th place achieved at Silverstonean achievement that marked the turning point in the assessment of the experienced manager. This progress led him to highlight a concept that became the team’s guiding light: “The team needs stability, and the ability to keep the same pilots is part of the stability; That’s what stability means “I’ll keep both”.

This vision led to the confirmation of Colapinto as the team’s driver for the 2026 season. After the continuity was officially announced, Briatore underlined his confidence in the Argentine’s abilities by saying: “I always believed that Franco has the characteristics and potential to be a driver who can grow with the team. The decision to stay together is a sign of our commitment and strong support for Franco in his development.“.

Closed with the sports year and alpine Briatore focused on the technical regulations that will be published in 2026 and deepened his analysis of the Argentine’s development. The Italian was categorical: “I spent a lot of time with Franco and saw a big change in him. Understand what it is He takes on his role in the team and does a very efficient job. At first many people doubted his potential, but I decided to trust him and with his results he showed that he is the right driver for our team.“.

This progress also affected the internal perception of the French structure. Briatore put it clearly: “I continued to bet on Franco and now everyone believes he is fantastic for us and the ideal partner for Pierre Gasly.”.

Direct comparisons with Gasly and performance on the racetrack

The Italian businessman compared the Performance of the Argentine with that of the French to justify his support. According to his analysis: “There were no accidents in the last few races and he drove very well. He was very close to Pierre, two tenths ahead, two behind, and that, I think “Gasly one of the best drivers in Formula 1”.

Alpine emphasized that this level of competitiveness has become a decisive argument Support the Argentine in the new phase the team will face.

With regard to the implementation of the new technical regulations, which begins in 2026 – and the relevant changes such as the inclusion of Mercedes engine, transmission and suspension—, Briatore assured that his goal was clear: “My job is to provide Pierre and Franco with the best possible car for next year.”.

In a scenario in which Formula 1 is preparing for profound changes, Alpine is betting on the duo Gasly-Colapinto one of the axes of his reconstruction strategy. Briatore, who went from initial distrust to clear praise, made it clear that the Argentine’s development changed the internal attitude of the team and made it one of the protagonists of the new cycle.