Colapinto after first laps at Suzuka: ‘Tricky day, details to fix’ | OneFootball

After completing the first two free practice sessions at the Japanese Grand Prix, Franco Colapinto took stock of his performance on the legendary Suzuka circuit. The Alpine driver, who is competing in the third round of the Formula 1 World Championship, acknowledged that although it was a day of significant learning, there is still work to be done to optimize the car’s performance.

“Overall, it has been a complicated practice day, but we learned a lot. It’s the first time I’ve driven at Suzuka, this legendary circuit, and it was great to experience it in a Formula 1 car and take on some of these very special corners,” said the Argentine representative, who finished 16th in the first session and 17th in the second.

Colapinto explained that his confidence increased as he completed more laps on the Japanese track, although he noticed certain imbalances in the car’s behavior. “By the end of the first session we were in a much better position, although we still weren’t entirely comfortable with the car, especially in some of the high-speed sections,” the driver said about his initial feelings on a circuit known for its high technical demands.

As for what happened in the second free practice session, held early Friday morning (Argentina time), the analysis followed a similar line. Colapinto pointed out the need to work further on the setup: “It was similar, so we have a few things to review and fix, and hopefully we can get into a much better and more competitive position for tomorrow’s qualifying.”

A relevant fact about this weekend is that, despite being in his third season in the top category, this marks Colapinto’s first appearance at the Japanese Grand Prix. In both 2024 and 2025, his entry into Formula 1 came after the race in the Asian country had already taken place on the official calendar.

The Alpine driver’s schedule will continue Friday night with the third and final free practice session. Later, at 3:00 a.m. on Saturday (Argentina time), the qualifying session will take place to determine the starting grid.

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