How Colapinto’s Montreal F1 Experience Can Help Him Score Points

Franco Colapinto faces the Canadian Grand Prix with an unprecedented advantage since becoming an Alpine driver, for the first time, he will repeat a circuit in Formula 1 (the Argentine already raced at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montreal in 2025) when he contested his fourth race with the French team after replacing Jack Doohan at Imola.

The precedent is encouraging, in that edition, held on June 15, 2025, Colapinto managed to advance to Q2 and finished the race in thirteenth place with the Alpine A525. He did not score points, but he showed competitive pace on a circuit as particular as the Canadian one, known for its long straights and heavy braking.

Until now, the Argentine had faced every track as an unknown; Australia, China, Japan, and Miami were all new circuits for him in F1. The experience accumulated in Montreal can make the difference; knowing the corners, the kerbs, the braking points, and the overtaking zones is an advantage that Colapinto has not had until now.

The context, moreover, is favorable. Alpine arrives in Canada as the undisputed leader of the midfield, the French team sits fifth in the constructors' championship with 23 points, the result of a solid start to the season. Colapinto has seven points (eleventh in the drivers' championship), while his teammate Pierre Gasly has 16.

The drivers' table shows Mercedes dominating with Kimi Antonelli (100 points) and George Russell (80), Charles Leclerc is third with 59, followed by Lando Norris (51) and Lewis Hamilton (51). Max Verstappen, with 26, is seventh, Colapinto, with seven points, is in eleventh place, tied with Liam Lawson.

In the constructors' championship, Mercedes leads with 180 points, followed by Ferrari (110), McLaren (94) and Red Bull (30). Alpine is fifth with 23, ahead of Haas (18), Racing Bulls (14) and Williams (5), Cadillac and Aston Martin close the table with no points.

Colapinto arrives in Montreal after his best result in F1, a seventh place in Miami, inherited from a penalty to Charles Leclerc, that haul of six points has given him a confidence boost. The Argentine knows he can fight with the best in the midfield and that knowledge of the circuit can be a differentiating factor.

The Canadian weekend, moreover, will be frenetic. As in Miami, the fifth round of the championship will have a sprint format, with a single free practice session, Colapinto's previous experience in Montreal will allow him to adapt faster and optimize the little time available. His goal is clear, to score points again and continue climbing in a drivers' table that is already beginning to take shape.