Franco Takes on Imola with Alpine
We finally have the race report: check how Franco did in Imola
Published
20 May 2025
Est. reading time
4 min
👏🏼 Franco Colapinto made his much-anticipated Formula 1 2025 debut!
🏁 Grand Prix: Emilia-Romagna Circuit: Imola, Italy Qualifying: 16th Laps completed: 63/63 Final result: 16th
It was a weekend full of discovery and emotion for Franco, who returned to Italy, this time as a full-time Alpine driver. From the moment he got to the paddock, the change was evident: new team, new pressure, but the same unwavering passion. He faced the challenge with focus and determination.
The atmosphere was electric: Argentine and Latin American fans were everywhere, both trackside and online. The Latin vibe was impossible to miss!
So, how did the race unfold?
The race lasted 1 hour and 32 minutes. Franco started 16th after a tough qualifying session. Still, on race morning, he thanked his team for their incredible effort to get the car ready in time.
On lap 20, he reached his highest position of the race: 8th place.
There were two yellow flags and two safety cars, one virtual and one full, pushing teams to rethink strategies. Pit stops were crucial, and Franco made the most of his. He maintained a steady pace, managed tyre wear and temperature well, and stayed in close communication with his team.
He ran two compounds: mediums at the start and hards for the second stint, where he set his fastest lap of 1:20.345 on lap 57.
👀 Race highlights:
On lap 44, Alpine executed a team strategy switch, and Franco showed great team spirit, supporting Pierre’s race plan.
In Sector 1, he clocked the third fastest time: 24.764 seconds at 225 km/h.
In Sector 2, he hit 265 km/h, again the third-best among all drivers.
During the second safety car, late in the race, Franco expertly maintained tyre temperature and stayed in a tight DRS train alongside Lawson and Stroll, all within a second of each other. With just a bit more time, a key overtake may have been possible.
On the final straight, he crossed the line at 285 km/h, matching the speed of four more experienced drivers.
Franco showed he’s here to fight, demonstrating maturity and grit, especially in the closing laps. He completed his first Grand Prix with Alpine in P16.
🔥 Most exciting moment?
Without a doubt, the final stint. With tyres on the edge, Franco pushed hard. He defended fiercely, attacked when possible, and stayed cool-headed with guidance from his race engineer.
A clear sign he’s ready to compete at the highest level.
“We had pretty good pace today but we were a little unfortunate with our strategy and, in the end, it was not the result the team was aiming to achieve.” Franco reported by the end of the race.
“I think we had pretty good pace at the start of the race. The Medium tyre lasted very long and we were on a one-stop until the VSC came a few laps after I made my stop. It put me in a very difficult situation already with eight laps on the Hard tyres when the full Safety Car came out and after that I was struggling to keep the pace with the other drivers on new tyres.”
“We had good pace in the car and we learnt a lot and gathered more valuable data for the team.” Regardless of the result, the message was clear: he’s got heart, talent, and determination. And with our support—this is just the beginning!
🗓 Next race: Monaco Grand Prix – 23 to 25 May
Free Practice: Friday, 23 May
Qualifying: Saturday, 24 May
Race: Sunday, 25 May
- Monaco: 15:00 hrs
- Argentina: 10:00 hrs
- UK: 14:00 hrs
We’ll cover live all weekend with Franco and the team!
Don’t forget to follow us on FranColapinto.com and download the official app here.
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“I think better tracks are coming for us, especially Monaco. It is a place which requires very high confidence. I’m not quite there yet, I’m still learning more and more each time I am in the car so I’ll build it up and I’m looking forward to it next weekend.” Commented Colapinto about what’s coming up.
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Use the official hashtags and let us know where and how you watched the race: #FranColapinto #FranClub43
We’ll be sharing the best posts from fans all week! Click here to see last week’s highlights 👈🏼
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