LIVE! The minute by minute of Franco Colapinto in the Singapore GP
The Argentine was sincere when asked if the possibility of running with wet track in the Singapore GP can give a hand to the weak Alpine.
Heat and humidity are two words that accompany each edition of the Singapore GP. This year rain was added. The 18th Date of F1 calendar can be accompanied by storms of different intensity. In fact, on Thursday, the FIA authorized the teams to close the garages for the torrential downpour that fell (the regulation indicates that the cars must be in sight all weekend). The weather service, in addition to announcing high temperatures (FIA first issued the heat risk), also marks the possibility of rains, especially for Friday and Sunday. On the day of the press, Franco Colapinto, Alpine pilot, was consulted on the running chance with a wet floor.
“The rain, an ally? The world has to fall,” said the Argentine. Its A525 is the weakest car of the season and is far from being able to reach the points zone. In fact, Colapinto is the only pilot of the current grill who did not score in the year and those of Estone has just 20 points, all courtesy of Pierre Gasly. The French team pointed to all the cannons at 2026 and put aside the 2025 season. The results of the decision are eloquent.
“Let’s see what happens. It will be a difficult weekend. Last year it was not easy for the team because it is a very hard car and there are many potholes. In Baku we feel them, but here it is four more times. There will be better and worse moments on the weekend, ”added the Argentine. In 2024, Alpine was far in the classification: Esteban Ocon departed 15th and Pierre Gasly, 18th. In the race they were 13th and 17th at a return Lando Norris, the winner.
The urban layout of Marina Bay has completely different characteristics to the circuits of Monza and Baku, the last two quotes of the F1. “This is a super tall aerodynamic load circuit, we will carry the spoiler as in Monac Characteristic that does not help us much because we overheat the tires more than the rest, but, perhaps, being a high load circuit, it comes a little better. There are many potholes that are good for us because our car is very hard. But we will have to be there and maximize opportunities, the weather can be very changing this weekend, you have to be attentive and use those moments to extract something more from the car. But it is complicated, we are not in a good time, the car is difficult to handle and slow, we are trying to improve, ”said the ex-Williams.
Singapore is an extreme race for heat and humidity that put the pilots almost to the resistance limit. “It is a hard career in terms of the physical, but the mental part is more difficult because they are many laps, very heat and when you are suffering physically and you are dehydrating. Last year I lost four and a half kilos of liquid. It is important to maintain the focus and it is complicated: it is night, you are tired, between the walls … that is the most difficult part in this race. Then there are others that are harder by force G, but to maintain the focus, it is the most difficult. I wish you can have a better weekend than in Baku, which we were very far, ”he said with AM850.
The preparation for a long career, which is usually close to the maximum of two hours that marks the regulation, is special: “I hydrate with water, salts and electrolytes. You lose a lot of liquid, so we try to hydrate a lot in the previous one and be almost two kilos above our weight. But salts and electrolytes remain in the muscles so that it is not lost so fast. It is a special weekend, there is more gym and heat, ”said Colapinto.
The Argentine’s work is on the rise from the Hungary GP. He improved his career rhythm and matched his experienced companion Pierre Gasly. In fact, at times he came to overcome the Frenchman, always within the context of weakness that Alpine lives. “I feel more comfortable with the car, missing, but I am finding the way where to go with the set up since I start the first free practice. Obviously we are where we want to be, the car is missing a lot of performance. But the important thing is that I continue to grow, doing my job and improving step by step, better understanding the car, improving with engineers and mechanics, we are better as a team, ”he closed.
