Franco Colapinto meticulously analysed the Alpine data following Pierre Gasly’s Monza pole – and his hard work already paid off in full at the race in Madrid
Franco Colapinto was left dissatisfied after qualifying at Monza. Whilst his Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly sensationally secured pole position, the Argentine could not manage better than eighth place in Q3.
The result was particularly puzzling because the 23-year-old had been on a par with the Frenchman in practice and also in Q1. In the first session, Gasly set the fastest time, with Colapinto just 0.050 seconds behind in fourth.
In Q2, however, Gasly was three tenths of a second faster. In the decisive Q3, the gap eventually widened to four tenths, which left Colapinto baffled.
Gasly surprised everyone at Monza
“Pierre was extremely fast throughout qualifying. In Q1 I was still very close, but I think as the session went on, he improved significantly more than I did. On my part, there’s a lot to analyse to understand this and learn from it – how much he was able to improve with every attempt, whilst I fell back a bit,” said the Argentine at the time.
It became clear after the Italian Grand Prix that these were not just empty words: Colapinto delved into the data to get to the root of the problem – and this work immediately bore fruit last weekend at the Spanish Grand Prix.
At the Circuito de Madrid, Colapinto was consistently faster than his team-mate in qualifying. He particularly impressed with his final lap in Q2, securing a place in Q3 after having to abort his first attempt following a scare on the fast La Monumental section of the track.
Colapinto strikes back in Madrid
“Yesterday’s qualifying was one of the best sessions I’ve ever driven – with absolutely perfect laps and a place in Q3. It was clear from the outset that it would be a close call, because Audi and the Racing Bulls were extremely quick here,” explained Colapinto after finishing Sunday’s race in seventh place – the highest-placed driver behind the top teams and even ahead of Oscar Piastri in the McLaren.
“Today we stayed up front in the race and picked up important points. So I’m very happy. Things went extremely well again, and I’m highly satisfied with both the pace and the result.”
Colapinto had a flawless weekend on the demanding Madring circuit. The circuit proved a tough test for both young drivers such as Arvid Lindblad and Oliver Bearman and experienced veterans such as Lewis Hamilton and pole-setter Lando Norris.
The lessons Colapinto learnt
“I’ve ticked all the boxes and I’m very pleased with that. I think that after Monza I learnt a lot from Pierre’s qualifying performance and tried to take a step forward here. I managed to do that, and I’ve once again got the most out of it,” Colapinto continued.
When asked what specific lessons he had learnt from Gasly’s qualifying performance at Monza, the Argentine explained: “I think a bit of everything. He has more experience, and the progress he’s made in all areas – both in driving style and in energy management from run to run, from Q1 through Q2 to Q3 – was very clearly evident. I’ve learnt from that.”
“I was fully focused in qualifying here, and on a very difficult circuit at that. It’s probably the most difficult circuit of the whole year when it comes to nailing a lap, but also the most satisfying when you manage it. Both Q2 and Q3 were fantastic laps. I’ve taken another step forward there, and that was exactly my aim. So I’m very pleased.”
