Jun.30 (GMM) Franco Colapinto is not the only Alpine driver who may have departed Austria feeling a little nervous.
Executive advisor and de-facto team boss Flavio Briatore axed rookie Jack Doohan last month, replacing him with the highly-rated and Argentine backed fellow rookie Franco Colapinto.
But the 21-year-old has also notably struggled in the cockpit – reviving rumours that Briatore’s axe may be about to swing again.
“Not particularly,” said the Argentine driver when asked if he is worried, just as rumours linking Alpine and Valtteri Bottas began to emerge.
“I think Flavio has been very supportive and trusts the decision he has made.”
However, 75-year-old Briatore openly admits he was unhappy not only with Colapinto in Austria, but also the team’s clear number 1 driver Pierre Gasly.
Auto Motor und Sport quoted Briatore as criticising the Frenchman for his Q3 spin that meant Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri could not charge for pole. The Italian said the mistake was “Not what you expect from a top driver”.
Briatore also criticised Colapinto for failing to make the Q3 segment at all.
“The car was quick and should have been well inside Q3 with two cars,” he said, adding that Alpine’s pace then tends to disappear in the grands prix.
“It is important we understand why this is, especially if we want to turn this season around from this difficult position,” said the Italian.
“Ultimately, we have lost ground to our direct rivals in the Championship after another race without scoring points and, frankly, this level of performance is increasingly concerning.”
Briatore said Colapinto was “a long way from Q3” on Saturday.
“But we need to put ourselves in a more competitive position with both cars,” he added.
Colapinto acknowledged: “I probably need something more, but I lack confidence in high-speed corners.”
The brighter news for Alpine is that L’Equipe believes Briatore has found a full-time replacement for Oliver Oakes, who suddenly and inexplicably left the role of team boss recently.
The identity of the likely new team principal is Steve Nielsen, who knows Briatore and Enstone well – although his more recent postings have been with the FIA and Formula 1.
L’Equipe correspondent Frederic Ferret believes Nielsen is likely to be appointed “even before the end of the summer, even if the sudden departure of Luca de Meo from Renault has undoubtedly complicated the decision-making process”.
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