Nico Rosberg never won the Canadian Grand Prix across the 2016 F1 champion’s 10 attempts, but fears a current driver needs a big result in Montreal to save their seat.
The pinnacle of motorsport has returned to the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve this week to run the Canadian GP in round 10 of the 2025 F1 season. Just one man not named Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen has won in Montreal since 2014, as Sebastian Vettel was victorious in 2018.
Rosberg secured two podium finishes through his 10 attempts with P2 in the 2014 and 2015 editions of the Canadian GP with Mercedes. He earned fifth in the 2016 running en route to winning the F1 drivers’ championship that year before Rosberg immediately retired from F1.
Nico Rosberg thinks Franco Colapinto is ‘driving for his future’ with Alpine in Canada
His first F1 race win may not be on the cards for Franco Colapinto at the 2025 Canadian GP, but Rosberg believes the 22-year-old needs a big result to save his drive at Alpine. Rosberg is convinced that the Argentine is fighting for his future after failing to impress in the A525.
Alpine confirmed Colapinto on a five-round deal to replace Jack Doohan ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this May. But the Buenos Aires native is already in his fourth round and is still chasing his first point, having only been P16 at Imola, P13 in Monaco and P15 in Spain.
READ MORE: Who is Alpine 2025 F1 driver Franco Colapinto? Everything you need to know
It is also now said that Canada and Austria are vital for Colapinto’s Alpine future as executive adviser Flavio Briatore will review the Enstone squad’s driver line-up again before the British Grand Prix. So, Rosberg feels Colapinto must deliver what he initially gave Williams last year.
Rosberg said on Sky Sports F1 (14/06, 17:44): “He is really driving for his future this weekend as he’s had many races now, and it’s just been a bit of a struggle overall.
“Flavio Briatore is absolutely ruthless and he will chop you without even thinking about it. So, Colapinto needs to find his Williams form. Last year, he was doing so well and he really needs to find it. It is possible, so let’s hope he can find it this weekend.”
Red Bull backed away from signing Franco Colapinto after his costly crashes at Williams
Alpine paid Williams £8.5m to sign Colapinto on a five-year loan deal from the 2025 season, given there was no room at the inn in Grove until at least the 2027 season after Carlos Sainz joined to partner Alex Albon. Briatore’s deal immediately put pressure on Doohan to deliver.
READ MORE: All you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage
Doohan, however, failed to score a point through the first six rounds of the 2025 season. So, Briatore demoted the Australian back into a reserve driver role. Yet Colapinto is not showing he is a clear upgrade on the 22-year-old, having struggled to show his best version this year.
Red Bull backed away from signing Colapinto to replace Sergio Perez over the winter after he cost Williams millions of pounds in repairs with a raft of crashes last year. He replaced Logan Sargeant for the final nine rounds of 2024 and initially impressed, but that form evaporated.
Colapinto scored points in just his second race in F1 after Williams promoted their academy product last year with P8 in the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He also came P10 in the United States Grand Prix, but Colapinto also destroyed his car twice in Brazil and once in Las Vegas.
Colapinto and Albon cost Williams seven figures at the 2024 Sao Paulo Grand Prix after the former crashed in qualifying and also behind the safety car in the race. Williams were then counting the pennies again after Colapinto crashed in qualifying for the 2024 Las Vegas GP.
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