Franco Colapinto is under pressure at Alpine after weak performance. Possible successors are already pouring the hooves. The Argentinian now collects the next neck strike during Formula 1 test trips.
Franco Colapinto built an accident on test drives for Formula 1 tire manufacturers Pirelli on the Hungaroring of Budapest on Wednesday.
As Alpine announced, Colapinto crashes his racing car in curve eleven, one of the faster curves of the rather slow course in Hungary. “Franco was examined in the Medical Center on site and is okay,” said the French statement.
In addition to Alpine, 2025 racing cars of McLaren and the Racing Bulls were on the track at the tire tests in Budapest. In addition to Colapinto, Ferrari also tested the Pirelli tires for the coming season on Wednesday.
Next year the tires will be smaller and narrower in the course of the new technical regulations.
For Colapinto, departure comes to the wrong time. The 22-year-old does not meet the expectations of his team around racing stable boss Flavio Briatore, has not brought a point in eight Grands Prix since Imola, stable colleague Pierre Gasly collected 13 points in the same period.
In the qualifying duel against his garage neighbors, Colapinto was 2: 7 behind, and his car also dismantled twice when hunting.
Formula 1: Is Perez for Colapinto?
Colapinto had taken over the alpine cockpit after Rookie Jack Doohan’s Miami GP after driving some races for Williams in the previous season. According to the Argentine’s commitment, the commitment of the Argentinian is only “running from races” on a contractual basis.
Briatore continues to see Colapinto “critically”, reported the portal “F1-insider.com” and brought a possible successor into play. According to this, the former Red Bull Pilot Sergio Perez “at the top” is on the list if Briatore should lower the fingers crossed at Colapinto.
“Briatore definitely sees a win-win situation when he gets Perez-and I would not rule out that this would happen,” wrote “F1-Inside” reporter Ralf Bach. The report does not show whether a driver change could still be completed in the current season or only for the new year. However, it is clear that Colapinto urgently needs to increase.