Demanding Work and Leadership on Track

While most Formula 1 drivers are already enjoying their mid-season break, Argentine rising star Franco Colapinto stayed at the Hungaroring on July 28, 2026 to participate in crucial tire testing organized by Pirelli for the upcoming 2027 season.

The Alpine driver showed an outstanding performance by completing 128 laps, equivalent to 561 kilometers, almost double the length of an official Grand Prix. Furthermore, he set the fastest time of the day with a lap of 1m20.371s, being the only driver to break the 1m20s barrier.

What are Pirelli tests and C3, C4, C5 compounds?

For those unfamiliar with motorsport, Pirelli is the exclusive tire supplier for Formula 1. Every year, the Italian brand develops new compounds to improve the show and safety. Tires are classified from C1 (hardest) to C5 (softest). During this session, Colapinto and his colleagues evaluated variants of the C3 (medium), C4 (soft), and C5 (super soft) tires, running race and qualifying simulations with ambient temperatures of 30°C and track temperatures reaching 53°C, an ideal condition to test thermal degradation.

Colapinto's Humor with His Mechanics

Despite the demanding early start, the driver from Buenos Aires faced the day with a smile. He woke up at 7:00 AM and joked on his social media: 'Today is really early... we are going to do laps, laps, and laps.' His Alpine mechanics played along and put an image of a Caribbean beach on the telemetry monitor so he could feel like he was 'on vacation.' Another funny moment occurred when a mechanic tried to feed him directly in the mouth, a scene that Franco himself replicated on his Instagram.

Looking to the Future with Optimism

On this July 28, 2026, Colapinto closed the first half of the championship with 19 points in 11 races, sitting 12th in the drivers' standings. After a tough race on Sunday (where he finished 15th), this test allowed Alpine to gather vital mileage and data for the car, which will debut upgrades when the category returns on August 21 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. The team's confidence in the Argentine for these tests is a very positive sign regarding his continuity for 2027.

Sources: TN, Infobae, TyC Sports and Motorsport.