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Alpine chief Flavio Briatore has explained why he was right to tell Franco Colapinto, ‘you are the problem’ during a tense exchange on Drive to Survive.
Colapinto, 23, got his first taste of Formula 1 back in 2024 when he replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams.
The Argentine produced impressive performances and ended up three points behind teammate Alexander Albon.
In 2025, Colapinto joined Alpine as a reserve driver but was put in the car alongside Pierre Gasly after Jack Doohan endured a tough start to the campaign.
During the latest series of Netflix’s Drive to Survive, Briatore was heard telling Colapinto, ‘You are the problem’, after a tough run of results.
In 2026, Colapinto has stepped up his game, securing his best F1 finish after coming home sixth at the Canadian Grand Prix.
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Speaking recently on the Beyond The Grid podcast, Briatore was asked whether he regrets his comment to Colapinto, which was captured by Drive to Survive.
Briatore replied: “No, there is always this feeling that the driver is untouchable and the mechanic is working day and night; our mechanic finished at two in the morning. When you talk about the driver, you need to be very careful to talk with the driver, very careful.
“It’s not like that; the driver is the managing director of the company, the driver is bringing the result to the team, and you need to tell the truth. I believe it. I don’t go in the back to talk with the press; I go in front of him. The problem is you, simple as that.
“Now, the problem is not a problem anymore, because Franco is performing. But at the time, it was a problem. I tell him, ‘Between you and Pierre, you have 1000 people working for you guys, and you need to respect those people. You need to demonstrate to me you are doing everything possible to perform’.
“Before the briefing, he was always looking at what Pierre is doing. I told him, ‘It’s wrong; you need to drive the car your way. You don’t need to drive the car thinking about the telemetry. You have talent, drive the car like you enjoy driving the car’.”
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Looking ahead, Alpine will have a decision to make on whether to keep Colapinto in the F1 seat alongside Gasly, who is contracted until 2028.
When asked about Colapinto’s future, Briatore shied away from giving any official confirmation, but did say that if the Argentine continues his current levels, the chances are he will be given another year.
The Alpine boss went on to reveal that they are looking at all the details and will likely make a final decision before the F1 summer break, which will be in August.
Briatore said: “If Franco is performing like he’s performing now and the relationship between Franco and Pierre is like now, like Alonso with Fisichella, why not?
“I know Franco very well now, and we know Pierre very well. Before the summer break, we decide.”
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