Alpine team principal Oliver Oakes has set the bar higher after Franco Colapinto delivered what he called his "most perfect weekend" in Formula 1 at the Miami Grand Prix. The Argentine driver qualified inside the top 10 and scored points in both races, but with Alpine's major car upgrade now in play, good results are no longer a surprise—they're the new baseline.
Colapinto piloted an Alpine A526 that seemed reborn thanks to a substantial upgrade package. The team introduced a lighter monocoque, aerodynamic updates to the front and rear brake hardware, revised suspension wishbones, reshaped floor edges, a Ferrari-style exhaust winglet, and a new rear wing. The result was immediate: Colapinto qualified eighth and finished 10th in Saturday's sprint, then climbed to seventh in the grand prix after starting eighth—his best result since an eighth-place finish in Azerbaijan back in 2024, which was only his second-ever grand prix.
"I think since I got to F1 it's been my most perfect weekend," Colapinto said after the race. "I am very happy with the weekend, it's been executed really well. I think we maximised every session and we scored strong points. It's been a weekend for all of us to be very proud of, and we'll try to get better in Canada."
What stood out most was Colapinto's qualifying pace—a notable improvement after his well-documented struggles last season. He outqualified teammate Pierre Gasly in both Miami races, and he did it without the new rear wing. In the sprint, he lost two places and finished behind Gasly, but that was largely due to having to back off at Turn 2 when he found himself stuck on the outside of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
The grand prix first lap was even more dramatic. Colapinto took advantage of the chaos caused by Verstappen's spin ahead of Hamilton, only to collide with the Ferrari as Hamilton tried to pass around the outside into Turn 11. Hamilton was so frustrated he gave Colapinto a one-fingered salute when he finally got past, but the stewards ruled the contact a "no further action" incident. TV replays showed the rear of Colapinto's car stepping out mid-corner, causing the cars to touch—Hamilton simply wasn't far enough alongside to claim the corner.
For Alpine, the Miami weekend proved their upgrades are working. Now the challenge is to maintain that momentum as the grid heads to Canada. For fans following the team's rise, this is exactly the kind of performance that makes wearing Alpine gear feel like backing a winner.