Franco Colapinto on his Monaco GP worry: “The key Saturday” | OneFootball

The Argentine driver admitted that he spent a lot of time in the simulator working to shave off every last thousandth ahead of a Grand Prix where qualifying will matter more than the race itself.

Monaco. The Principality. That will be the next destination for Formula 1 in 2026, one of the most iconic races on the entire world championship calendar. And a race that, over the years, has turned into more of a social event than a competition. The increase in the size and weight of the cars has made overtaking practically impossible, and many times drivers end up finishing in the same position in which they started the race.

In 2025 there was just one on-track overtake, which shows the importance of Saturday, Grand Prix qualifying. And while this season’s cars are a bit smaller and it is easier to follow another car, it is clear that any overtake will still be quite a feat. With that in mind, qualifying will be crucial, and Franco Colapinto knows it well.

Speaking to Alpine’s official website, the Argentine acknowledged his concern about it and how hard he has worked to arrive as sharp as possible for that session, which will be critical for his race chances: “It’s probably the most important Saturday of the whole year. Luckily, we’re going back to a traditional weekend, we have to build confidence with the track in every practice session to arrive in good shape for qualifying. That’s where the key lies,” he said.

“I live in Monaco, so I’ve been watching all these days as they prepared the track. I can’t wait to get in the car for Friday’s free practice,” highlighted Franco, who also admitted he has been training a lot in the simulator for this race.

“It’s been a very busy week for the team, even beyond the free weekend after Montreal, I was in the simulator in Enstone on Monday right after the race and although I went back to France for my birthday, I immediately returned to the simulator to spend more time with the team before this European leg,” Colapinto said.

Franco Colapinto is coming off two consecutive points-scoring races with Alpine, both in Miami and in Canada, and now has 15 points in the world championship, just five behind his teammate Pierre Gasly, the main rival to beat this season.

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