Franco Colapinto achieved a historic result at the Miami GP by finishing seventh after a 20-second penalty was applied to Charles Leclerc. The performance represents the best result by an Argentine driver in Formula 1 since Carlos Reutemann’s second place at the 1982 South African GP.
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On track, the Alpine driver had crossed the finish line in eighth, matching his best result in the category — previously achieved at the 2024 Azerbaijan GP, when he was racing for Williams. The weekend also marked the first time since Singapore 2025 that Colapinto outqualified Pierre Gasly in a Grand Prix.
One of the factors pointed out by the Argentine for the good performance was the introduction of a new A526 chassis, brought by the team as part of the upgrade package. With it, Colapinto managed to qualify in the top ten for both the Sprint race and the GP, finishing tenth in the short race.
“It was my most perfect weekend,” Colapinto told the press. “I am very happy with the weekend, it was executed very well, and we scored strong points, so it was a weekend to be very proud of.”
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The driver also highlighted the team’s effort during the break. “The team made a huge effort to bring parts for the car, upgrades, and a new chassis. It was very busy at the factory during the break, but also very useful. I was very proud to deliver this performance and show the car’s speed. I am very grateful [to the team], and the new chassis that arrived was very helpful, and I think that really helped me to settle better and find more rhythm. When you have rhythm, suddenly everything becomes much easier, and you are not on the defensive.”
With this, Colapinto helped Alpine reach 23 points in four races, surpassing the 22 scored in the entire 2025 season.
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