60 laps for Colapinto on day 1 in Barcelona: “Alpine did an excellent job”

Positive start for the French team, 60 laps completed and third overall time for Franco Colapinto who took to the track with the Alpine A526 on the first day of testing in Barcelona. “It’s a great feeling to face my first Formula 1 pre-season with a new car – said the Argentine driver – the team has done a great job in preparing everything so that the car is ready for the first day of shakedown here in Barcelona. There is always a lot to learn at this stage of the year, with so many new things to understand. It’s great to see so much positivity and optimism in the garage and to see everyone putting in their maximum effort. We still have two days of track testing here, where we will have to add more mileage and complete more laps. We will focus on ourselves, continue to push ourselves, keep a positive attitude and aim to make the most of this week’s shakedown.” “First of all, congratulations to the whole team, at the track and at the factory, for putting the car on track almost immediately, as soon as the light turned green at the end of the pit lane, on the first day of the shakedown – added managing director Steve Nielsen – after last week’s filming day at Silverstone, with Pierre driving the A526 for the first time, today it was Franco’s turn. In the end, it was a typical first day of testing, with different programs and system checks. We found some small issues that have slowed us down, but which are to be expected with a completely new car, the focus is mainly on learning and understanding, rather than rushing too much. So, it was a considered decision today, to limit some testing sessions to ensure that our systems and processes are working properly. We have two more days in the car during the week, which we will decide based on a number of factors, including the weather and conditions, where we will try to maximize our time on the track and continue to learn more about the whole. package”.