Alpine boss makes major admission on Franco Colapinto’s F1 struggles

Alpine F1 boss Flavio Briatore has admitted that he may have mismanagement driver Franco Colapinto by bringing him into F1 earlier than he should have joined the grid. The Italian also claimed that the rookie may have failed to perform consistently due to the pressure on him.

Franco Colapinto was brought into the Alpine F1 team, replacing Jack Doohan after just six races of the 2025 season. The Argentine was already highly rated thanks to his stint in the Williams car during the final phase of the 2024 season.

But the move has not gone exactly to plan for Colapinto or Alpine boss Flavio Briatore, who was reported to be the architect behind the switch of drivers. Now, the 75-year-old has spoken honestly about Colapinto's time in F1 and admitted that he may have mismanaged the youngster.

"Maybe it was not the time to have Franco in Formula 1. Maybe he needed another one year to be part of Formula 1," Briatore said during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend. [via Formula1.com]

Expanding further on Colapinto's struggles, Briatore said:

"Drivers are human beings and we need sometimes to understand exactly what is going on in the heads of these kids, because they are young kids of 19, 20, 22, 23. Sometimes we underestimate the human part of the driver. We are looking always for the timing. Maybe I missed something in the management of the driver, Colapinto."

Briatore also claimed that he was not exactly happy with Franco Colapinto's performances so far this year, and that he expected more from the driver. He also explained that the driver's place in the team in the future is not certain at the moment.

Colapinto is yet to score a single point after having competed in 9 Grands Prix this year. His best result came at the recently concluded Dutch GP, where he finished in 11th.

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Flavio Briatore praises Franco Colapinto after P11 finish at the Dutch GP

Flavio Briatore and Franco Colapinto during the Belgian Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Flavio Briatore praised Franco Colapinto for his P11 finish at the Dutch GP, claiming that this was the Argentine's best result of the 2025 season so far. The driver himself also felt that he "drove well" at Zandvoort.

Speaking post the race in the Netherlands, Briatore explained that the Alpine team took many risks to try and maximise their result. After which he added:

"With Franco [Colapinto], he drove a very good race, probably his strongest this season so far."

Colapinto also reflected on his best result of the season so far, claiming that he felt he drove well.

"We were very close to securing some points as a team today. It was a race where we had to be alert and ready to capture any opportunity. I felt I drove well and, at the flag, [scored] my best finish of the season."

On the other side of the garage, Pierre Gasly finished last of the running drivers during the Dutch GP, as he fell rapidly from a points-scoring position towards the end of the race. The Frenchman did not pit during the third and final safety car of the race and was overtaken by drivers on much fresher tires in the final stint.