27/06/2026 12:04 - Deportes
On Saturday, June 27, 2026, Franco Colapinto faced a difficult qualifying session at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. After a solid Q1 where he advanced without issues in 11th place with a time of 1:07.894, the Argentine Alpine driver made a decisive mistake in Q2 that kept him out of the fight for pole position.
With ambient temperatures reaching 33°C (91°F) and track temperatures of 52-55°C (126-131°F), Colapinto needed to improve his time to break into the top ten and reach Q3. However, on his definitive lap, he lost control at Turn 1, went off track, and had to abort the attempt, finishing in 16th position.
| Pos. | Driver | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) | Provisional Pole |
| 11th | Pierre Gasly (Alpine) | 1:07.223 |
| 16th | Franco Colapinto (Alpine) | 1:08.171 |
In the first session (Q1), Colapinto showed promising pace. After setting an initial time of 1:08.343 that placed him 13th, he significantly improved with a 1:07.894, provisionally moving up to 9th and ultimately securing passage in 11th position. Drivers eliminated in Q1 included Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Sergio Pérez, Valtteri Bottas, Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll.
However, Q2 proved more challenging. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) set the pace with an impressive 1:06.763, while Colapinto recorded 1:08.171, momentarily falling short of the cutoff. On his final attempt to improve, the Argentine lost the lap at Turn 1 and could not complete his flying lap.
The Red Bull Ring, located in Spielberg, Austria, is one of Formula 1's most scenic circuits, set in the Styrian mountains. Known for its short layout (only 10 turns) and significant elevation changes, it features three long straights that create excellent overtaking opportunities. The circuit's compact nature means lap times are among the shortest on the F1 calendar, making every millisecond count.
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This result adds to a challenging Friday for the Alpine team. During free practice sessions, Colapinto finished 8th in FP1 but dropped to 14th and 16th in subsequent sessions, expressing frustration that the five upgrades introduced on the car — especially the new front wing — did not perform as expected.
The 23-year-old driver mentioned that changes made for the second practice session worsened the car's performance, a situation that appeared to persist during Saturday's qualifying.
Starting from 16th position, Colapinto will need to rely on intelligent strategy and strong race pace to move forward on Sunday. The Red Bull Ring, with its three long straights and fast uphill and downhill corners, presents a true rollercoaster where overtaking opportunities are frequent. The Austrian Grand Prix promises intense excitement and plenty of action!
Sources: Motorsport.com | Olé | TyC Sports
Franco Colapinto is an Argentine racing driver (born May 27, 2003 in Pilar, Buenos Aires) who competes in Formula 1 for the Alpine team. He made his F1 debut in 2024 with Williams and later joined Alpine, becoming only the second Argentine driver to race in Formula 1 in the 21st century. Known for his aggressive driving style and strong race craft, Colapinto represents Argentina's return to the pinnacle of motorsport after a long absence following the era of legends like Juan Manuel Fangio and Carlos Reutemann.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
