Was Adding Franco Colapinto a Good Choice for Alpine?
It seems that the Alpine Racing Team has made a drastic decision regarding the replacement of Jack Doohan. Now that Franco Colapinto has raced in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, the time has come to make an analysis. Colapinto finished 16th in the Grand Prix after a heavy crash during qualifying, and this has heads turning in all directions. The driver ran a long first session, but time was not in his favor as he pitted before a Virtual Safety Car period due to Esteban Ocon retiring from the track. These instances point to the question: Was replacing Doohan with Colapinto the right decision for the Alpine team?
Colapinto had a good pace at the start of the race and additionally made the medium tires he had on his car last for quite a bit. The 21-year-old driver has experience replacing past drivers and driving in the Formula 1 pace, as he had done so during the active 2024 season. He raced for the Williams team, replacing Logan Sargeant, who is no longer in Formula 1. Now, Colapinto is learning the car for Alpine, as the car and strategy he was used to have significant differences. With that, the tracks he is racing on are completely new to the Argentinian. With more experience in the future, hopefully, he will be able to learn a little bit more about the car he is driving.
Next for the young driver is the famous Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo on Sunday, May 25th, which Colapinto has not raced before in Formula 1. This will be yet another experience for the rookie replacement to navigate and learn as he continues to drive for the Alpine team. With such drama from the men in pink, what could be next? Pierre Gasly was only able to finish 13th despite a 10th-placed starting position during the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, and Colapinto hasn’t driven the complex Monaco track yet. Who knows what could come from this? Was replacing Doohan the best choice, or will the Alpine racing team be begging for scraps during the upcoming race? Make sure to watch the Monaco Grand Prix, it is sure to be an exciting race in the 2025 season.
