Briatore praised Franco's maturity and the impact of the «Argentina effect» | OneFootball

In the lead-up to the Miami Grand Prix, the Formula 1 world is once again turning its attention to Franco Colapinto. This time, the one who spoke up to back the Argentine’s current form was none other than Flavio Briatore. Alpine’s executive advisor was blunt in his assessment of the Pilar native’s progress at the start of the 2026 season: «He’s more mature. He was a boy, now he’s a man,» the Italian stated.

Briatore not only praised Franco’s driving, but also his ability to integrate into the team and his relationship with Pierre Gasly. According to the veteran executive, communication with the engineers has taken a major step forward and the atmosphere within the team is unbeatable. The Italian also said he was still amazed by the Road Show in Buenos Aires: «When he sent me the video, I couldn’t believe it. The passion of the Argentinians is insane,» he admitted, referring to the 600,000 people who packed the streets last weekend.

From a purely sporting standpoint, Colapinto has already shown the first positive signs on the Miami track. In Friday’s only free practice session, the Argentine finished in 11th place, just outside the Top 10 and very close to his teammate’s times.

One key detail must be taken into account: Franco’s car has upgrades to the chassis and suspension, but it still does not have the new rear wing (the most important update), which for now only Gasly has. The driver himself confirmed that this part will only be added to his car for the Canadian GP. Despite that technical difference, the goal for this weekend is clear: go wheel-to-wheel to break into the points.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.