Franco Colapinto ‘excited’ for his F1 return at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

After a tumultuous week for Alpine, the team is ready to go back to racing.

With a new driver in their lineup.

In the hours after the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, Alpine accepted the resignation of Team Principal Oliver Oakes, announced that Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore would handle those duties, and confirmed the long-standing rumor that Franco Colapinto would take over as a driver, replacing Jack Doohan.

Now, Colapinto and teammate Pierre Gasly are ready to go racing at this week’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, and the young driver is “excited” to be back on the grid.

“I am very excited to be going into race week for the first time since December,” said Colapinto in the team’s media preview. “I am very grateful for this opportunity and now I have to get up to speed and showcase what I am capable of doing in the car.”

For Colapinto, racing in Italy holds a soft spot in his heart. Not only did he make his F1 debut in Italy a year ago, but he has won at both Monza and Imola, including a win in the F2 Sprint race in Imola last year.

“Italy feels like a very special place for me for a number of reasons. It is where I made my Formula One debut in Monza last year,” continued Colapinto. “And now, I go to Imola for my first race with Alpine. I have fond memories of winning in Italy for the first time in Formula Renault back in 2020 in Monza and then my first victories in both Formula 3 and Formula 2 came in Imola in 2022 and 2024. Imola is a track I really enjoy. It is just a legendary place with some great corners which I am especially looking forward to in a Formula One car for the first time.”

As for what Colapinto is aiming for this week, the young driver hopes to get up to pace “quickly,” so he can “contribute” to Alpine’s ambitions this weekend.

“I will aim to work hard with the team and try to get on the pace quickly in order to contribute to the team’s ambitions for the weekend. It has been a great first few months with everyone at Enstone with some TPC running in the 2023 car and time in the simulator, so I am definitely feeling ready and prepared,” added Colapinto.

This is the first of five races Colapinto has been promised in the A525, as he seeks to secure a spot on the grid with Alpine full-time going forward. He’ll need to get up to speed quickly if he is to achieve that goal.