Key Takeaways:
- Franco Colapinto finished 15th in the Spanish Grand Prix, a result that was overshadowed by the dominance of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
- Colapinto expressed frustration with the performance of his Alpine car, citing a lack of rhythm and difficulties with tire degradation.
- Despite the challenges, Colapinto remained optimistic, highlighting the progress made from Friday to Saturday and looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix.
The Spanish Grand Prix was a forgettable experience for Franco Colapinto, who finished 15th in a race dominated by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Despite a promising qualifying session on Saturday, Colapinto’s Alpine car lacked rhythm and struggled with tire degradation, leaving him to fight for position at the back of the pack.
Colapinto’s weekend got off to a difficult start on Friday, when he was forced to change his engine and exhaust system, resulting in a penalty that pushed him to the back of the grid. On Saturday, he showed flashes of competitiveness in qualifying, but a transmission issue forced him to start from the back of the grid.
In the race, Colapinto struggled to find his footing, consistently lapping at a pace that was 7-10 seconds slower than that of Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to make significant progress, instead relying on penalties and retirements to move up the order. His only moment of satisfaction came on the final lap, when he managed to pass Esteban Ocon’s Haas to take 15th place.
“It wasn’t the race we wanted,” Colapinto said after the race. “We’re trying to understand what the big problem was. We made a big step from Friday to Saturday… but today was tough.”
Colapinto’s performance was a far cry from that of his teammate Pierre Gasly, who finished eighth despite struggling with tire degradation. The contrast between the two drivers highlighted the challenges faced by Colapinto and the Alpine team, who are still searching for their first points of the season.
Despite the difficulties, Colapinto remained optimistic, citing the progress made over the weekend and looking forward to the Canadian Grand Prix. “I’m going to Canada much more comfortable,” he said. “I just need to work on understanding those moments where we’re struggling for rhythm.”
The Spanish Grand Prix was a dominant performance by McLaren, with Piastri taking the win and Norris finishing second. The team’s strong showing has solidified their position at the top of the constructors’ championship, while Colapinto and the Alpine team will need to regroup and refocus if they hope to challenge for points in the coming races.
Read More:
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https://www.clarin.com/deportes/gp-espana-formula-1-ratifico-dominio-mclaren-piastri-lider-colapinto-explico-vueltas-carrera-queriamos_0_cmKrROOaND.html