Franco Colapinto explains Flavio Briatore approach with F1 future in the balance

Franco Colapinto says Flavio Briatore has helped him become “stronger mentally” during a challenging 2025 F1 season.

Colapinto was parachuted into Alpine as a replacement from the underperforming Jack Doohan at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May, having made a winter switch from Williams.

But Colapinto has so far failed to score a single point, with a best finish of 11th place coming at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Colapinto sits 20th in the drivers’ championship, while teammate Pierre Gasly is 16th, having scored all 20 of Alpine’s points this term.

Alpine are subsequently rooted to the very bottom of the constructors’ standings, 24 points behind Haas.

Colapinto has opened up on the tough love approach from Alpine chief Briatore in an interview with F1's Beyond the Grid podcast, recorded prior to last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

"I have a very good relationship with Flavio," Colapinto said. "He's hard with everyone and his way of making the team work and motivating the people - it's sometimes a bit hard and sometimes it can feel, you know, a little bit too much if you don't know him.

"But he's someone I really believe in and someone that I believe is going to move this team forward. He's going to help the team back to the top, so I learned a lot from him this year.

"He made me a lot stronger mentally. I'm very grateful for the opportunity of course he gave me but also for all his process you know that we are going through.”

Colapinto not focused on F1 future

Briatore was openly critical of Colapinto when he stated he was “not happy” with the performance of his driver ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August.

But by the end of the Zandvoort weekend, Briatore was left praising Colapinto after producing what he felt was “probably his strongest” showing of the season.

Briatore has narrowed the team’s options for their second 2026 F1 seat to a straight fight between Colapinto and reserve driver Paul Aron.

But Colapinto insists he is not allowing himself to get distracted with thoughts of the future as he fights to retain his spot on the F1 grid.

"I don't know, and I'm not really focused too much on that. I think I want to keep building on this year. There is more to learn and I have much more to find,” he said.

"I'm feeling better in the car and in the team. Of course, it's no secret that the car is not where we want to be and it's not good enough at the moment to win points.

"The time will come when it is, and I want to be ready for that. That's the main focus at the moment, to go race-by-race and moment-by-moment and see where we end up."