Franco Colapinto did not get out of Q1 during qualifying for the second time amid his first three F1 races with Alpine after a mechanical problem at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The 22-year-old has struggled for speed all weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in round nine of the 2025 F1 season. Colapinto could only manage P20 in FP1 and FP2 plus P17 in FP3, and he will start the Spanish GP from the back of the grid after qualifying in P19.
Only another disastrous day from Red Bull racer Yuki Tsunoda saved Colapinto from finishing qualifying for the Spanish GP as the slowest driver on Saturday. Tsunoda could only manage a 1:13.385 in Q1 to rank behind Colapinto, who penned a 1:13.334 before enduring an issue.
Colapinto could not drive out of the pit lane to attempt a second run during Q1 as his Alpine A525 refused to pull away. The Argentine has now qualified in P15 at Imola, P20 in Monaco and P19 in Spain since Colapinto replaced Jack Doohan at Alpine with a five-round contract.
Nico Rosberg questions Alpine’s radio messages to Franco Colapinto in Spanish GP qualifying
Nico Rosberg does not think Alpine helped Colapinto as much as they could have before his mechanical problem materialised in the first phase of qualifying for the Spanish GP, as well. Pierre Gasly ensured one Alpine racer advanced to Q2 in Montmelo as he sealed P13 in Q1.
READ MORE: Who is Alpine 2025 F1 driver Franco Colapinto? Everything you need to know
The 2016 F1 champion thinks the Enstone outfit could have done more to help Colapinto to prepare his tyres. His race engineer only told the Buenos Aires native that he just needed to do a standard out lap, having got his tyres up to temperature without any issues early in Q1.
Rosberg said on Sky Sports F1 (31/5, 15:08): “That, if I may say so, sounds like an imperfect approach. They should be more attentive to some details there because you can certainly work on getting those tyres in the perfect temperature range every time you start a lap.”
Franco Colapinto will know Alpine could replace him due to his bleak qualifying results
Colapinto may take some comfort, despite his Q1 exit at the Spanish GP, that Gasly was only 0.253 seconds quicker than the Argentine with the Frenchman’s lap time strong enough for P13 and a Q2 spot. But Colapinto will be desperate to start showing his speed in qualifying.
The Spanish GP is the third race in Colapinto’s five-round deal to replace Doohan and Flavio Briatore will not hesitate to make another change if the 22-year-old cannot improve. Alpine are considering replacing Colapinto with Mick Schumacher ahead of the British Grand Prix.
Alpine will review their driver line-up after the Austrian Grand Prix on June 29 and know the A525 is capable of more than Colapinto is so far producing. Gasly qualified P10 as Colapinto crashed in qualifying at Imola and was also 0.603s faster than him in Q1 for the Monaco GP.
Leave feedback about this