Franco Colapinto's fine form at Madrid saved Alpine some important midfield points.
It was just a week ago when Alpine driver Franco Colapinto broke down in tears, citing how he made a "major mistake" in the Italian Grand Prix. He started from seventh at Monza, then jumped to fourth after the Charles Leclerc crash at the Parabolica. He would even take P3 away from Red Bull's Max Verstappen, before the latter quickly retook the position.
However, Colapinto would make a self-inflicted error, taking to the gravel and tumbling down the order. From fourth place in the restart, he found himself in 16th place.
The Argentine driver still managed to finish ninth at Monza, but he looked very disappointed in the post-race interviews, saying that he didn't take advantage of a "great opportunity."
And yet, the 23-year-old racer didn't lose heart after all that. And we all saw that at Madrid.
Colapinto saves Alpine from losing more points
Pierre Gasly has been very good for Alpine this season, having scored in 7 of the 14 races we had so far. But the French driver underwhelmed at the new Madring circuit, even failing to get to the final session in Saturday's qualifying.
This presented a huge opportunity for Colapinto to step up to the plate, and boy, he sure did. He advanced to Q3 on Saturday and qualified P9, crucially ahead of Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad. Alpine is battling and trailing the Racing Bulls for 5th place in the Constructors' Championship.
Colapinto would finish seventh in the Spanish GP, again crucially ahead of Lindblad, who took the checkered flag in ninth place. He jumped a spot with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton retiring, and found himself ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who qualified ahead of him.
Colapinto held off a charging Piastri in a faster McLaren for over 15 laps, showing his composure and adaptability in a new track.
More importantly, he gave Alpine six important midfield points. Alpine has now cut the Racing Bulls' fifth-place lead to nine points.
Colapinto justifies his new contract
After scoring points in two consecutive weekends, it's safe to say that Colapinto has justified his new contract with Alpine. Last month, the team announced that they will retain the Colapinto-Gasly lineup for 2027.
From enduring criticisms early in his Formula One career, the Argentine driver proved that he belongs to the grid.
Oh, and who is excited to see Colapinto when Alpine takes on new colors in 2027 under their new title sponsor Gucci?
