Colapinto downplays crash during his first weekend back in F1

21:27, 17 May

byNorberto Mujica

After his untimely crash in the final stages of Q1, Franco Colapinto downplays the implications of his accident and looks with optimism to his future at Alpine.

Actin team boss, Flavio Briatore, instructed Colapinto to do only three things: drive fast, score points, don't crash. First race back and the Argentine driver is already in breach of the three conditions placed by the extravagant Italian boss.

Colapinto is still getting used to the Alpine F1 car

For the new Alpine driver, though, it's nothing to do with himself, but with his rather green adaptation process to his new F1 car.

"[It's] tricky when you start from zero. There are six races behind the others. Overall, I think I've just been getting used to the car, to the tyres, to the balance," said Colapinto to media including GPblog.

"The car is very different from what I was used to. In quali it was probably the first time that I really arrived to the limit of the car, I was always a bit below, and it's very easy to go out of that window,"

Colapinto is sure to come back stronger from crash

Colapinto downplays the crash, and ultimately states his confidence that he will perform better in the future.

"I was pushing the limits a bit more, it's very tight in quali nowadays, the margins, so I kind of tried to use a bit more kerb, so it [was] just too much. It's a pity, it's a lot of work in the garage this night."

"[I'm] just very sorry that it's not great to start like this, but overall I've been feeling more comfortable in the car, a bit more connected after the sessions and after having done laps. So I think even though it's tough, I'm sure we are going to come back stronger."