Catching up with Alpine F1 drivers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto

Alpine Singapore offered us a chance to chat with Alpine F1 drivers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, ahead of the 2025 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.

Alpine F1 are contesting the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix with the duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. Gasly is a seasoned F1 driver with eight full seasons to his name, including one Grand Prix victory in 2020. Colapinto, on the other hand, is in his first full season in Formula One, after making his debut midway through the 2024 season. 

Singapore's GP is a street race, what are the challenges compared to other circuits, especially with the newly declared heat hazard?

Pierre Gasly: Singapore's gonna be challenging with the heat and all. I think this is the sort of track where, maybe there are more opportunities than any other track, plus the conditions, it's going to be tough for everyone. It's also very unpredictable with the weather, but purely from a track layout, we know it's going to be challenging.

Franco Colapinto: It's going to be tough, but we are used to it. I think the cars nowadays and the ways they are making them safer, cooler inside. It helps. It's always nice to have tracks this tricky, it creates some more opportunities. It's a nice track to drive in, and I really enjoyed driving here last year.

Where does the car feel the strongest, and what areas still need work?

PG: Tracks with higher speed corners are more favourable with our package. I think we were kind of struggling a bit more with low speeds, as we've seen in Baku City Circuit, where you have a lot of traction and low gears, we suffer from too much wheel spin. 

How is your team prepared for the new regulations that are going to affect the driving and racing experience?

PG: As a team, we all agree that if we want to seize the opportunity to put the team back to the top of the grid, we need to be quite aggressive and quite bold in our approach. This year, we decided to stop the development of the car very early on, to switch all the resources we had onto 2026 to get a head start on the others.

What are the challenges in the sport that you have struggled with?

PG: No one prepares you to the sort of exposure you're gonna get. I rocked up in the paddock at 21 years old, where suddenly I have TV footage and TV exposure across the whole world, you have cameras everywhere. You are judged for every word you say, you got to express yourself in front of TVs, fans and media.

FC: It takes a lot of sacrifices. I left my country when I was very young. This then gives me extra motivation and strength. Like to say when difficult times come, because I know how much it took to arrive where I am, I think it makes me push a little bit more and put my 120% in.

What has been the biggest change in converting previous race experience into consistent race pace in Formula One?

FC: I think at the end it's all the same. It's all Formula racing with a bigger car and more power, more downforce - it's the same we've been doing all our life and in the junior categories. In other categories, the older drivers maybe raced for two or three years maximum. You arrive here, there are drivers that have been in F1 for 15 years. They have a lot of experience, and that's probably the biggest difference compared to other categories.

Read More: Catching up with Williams Racing F1 driver and 2023 Singapore Grand Prix winner, Carlos Sainz

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