Colapinto hails ‘perfect' Miami weekend - but Briatore wants more

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Franco Colapinto delivered a breakthrough performance for Alpine last weekend in Miami, one that was wrapped in confidence, execution, and long-awaited reward.

Despite a rocky start to his 2026 campaign, the Argentine driver found his groove in spectacular fashion in South Florida, which allowed him to secure a career-best seventh-place finish.

But what made the performance stand out wasn’t just the final position, but the consistency across the entire weekend. From practice to race day, Colapinto looked in control.

“I think since I got to F1 it’s been my most perfect weekend,” he said after the race. “I'm very happy with the weekend – it’s been executed really well.

“I think I maximized every session and we scored strong points. So it’s been a weekend for all of us to be really proud of, and we will try to get better in Canada.”

Finding the flow

After struggling to match Pierre Gasly in the previous rounds in Australia and Japan, the shift in momentum in Miami was palpable.

“The team did a very big effort to bring new parts for the cars, bring upgrades, new chassis," Colapinto explained.

“It's been very hectic in the factory in this break, but very useful and very proud to have got that performance back that we need and to show the speed of the car this weekend has been very positive.

“When you have the pace, suddenly everything becomes much easier and not being on the back foot. It's been much better this weekend and felt very strong.”

Even with a slightly compromised package – running without the latest rear wing available to only one car – the Argentine found rhythm and speed when it mattered most.

“I feel very similar [in the car] to be honest – on my side, not much changed,” he added.

“I’m just very grateful to the team for all the new bits, the upgrades, the new wings, the new chassis that came – it’s all been very helpful and I think that really helped me to find my feet a bit better and find more pace.”

Briatore demands more of the same

While Colapinto celebrated his Miami milestone weekend, Flavio Briatore was quick to frame the result as a benchmark rather than a one-off.

“Franco has rounded off a really good week where he has performed at the level we expect him to be at every race weekend,” the Alpine chief said.

“The car is competitive and it is these performances we need week in, week out from both drivers and the entire team for us to meet our objectives.”

The message from Alpine’s leadership is clear: this is the standard now.

“We are P5 in the constructors' championship and we are looking forwards and not backwards on what we can achieve,” added the Italian.

“We have a lot to review in the two weeks before Canada, especially in regards to some of the new items on the car which might not have given Pierre the performance uplift we expected.”

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.