Colapinto buoyed after strong first day with Alpine

Having returned to the F1 paddock as a racing driver, Franco Colapinto sounded a positive note after a quiet, but relatively strong performance on his first day with Alpine.

Colapinto resumed his F1 career in the opening practice at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The Argentine tried to learn about the Alpine as much as he could, ending up in P17 in the first one-hour session.

He looked more comfortable in his car in FP2, improving his position to end up 13th fastest, albeit he conceded that he still needs to get used to his new cockpit.

“It is great to be back in a Formula One car on a race weekend again," started Colapinto. "I’m beginning to be in a happier place with the car after my first day. There’s still a lot of work to do with the setup but I’m starting to be more comfortable.

“I have got a lot still to learn and to get used to, but I am building up to it and by the end of the day I was starting to be a bit more competitive. The car is looking quite strong, especially with Pierre so I’m sure we are in the mix.

“Qualifying is going to be tricky with the traffic, we’re going to need to be on it from the start of Q1. It’s important for us to be on top of everything so we will check all of the data from today and aim to find good answers and be stronger tomorrow.

"Overall, I’ve been pleased with my first day and I’m looking forward to Qualifying," concluded Colapinto.

His team-mate Pierre Gasly was right in the mix on both the medium and soft compound tyres. The Frenchman looked very strong in the second practice session, ending up the only driver to get within three tenths of the field-leading McLarens.

“It has been a good Friday for us right since the start of the day. From the first lap I could tell the car felt good and we have answered some question marks from the last race so that is certainly positive.

“The car reacts how I want and I am just trying to find the limits now and refine a few things but the potential is certainly there. We had a little incident at the end of Free Practice 1, which was completely unavoidable. A hare jumped across the track before Turn 14 and unfortunately smacked my front wing.

“It was one of those things, nothing I could do, and we had some damage to the car as a result of the impact. The team did a great job to repair things and minimise any disruption ahead of Free Practice 2.

“On track, as ever, it is very close. We just need to keep this momentum, try to find more pace, and aim to be in the mix for the top 10 in Qualifying. I am excited and ready for the rest of the weekend here in Imola.”