P1racenews AI automatic summary:
1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has identified a major problem with Franco Colapinto ahead of his Alpine stint.
Jacques Villeneuve expressed concerns about Franco Colapinto being seen as a “crasher,” potentially overshadowing his performance during the five-race audition for a race seat at Alpine. Colapinto was brought in to replace Jack Doohan for a minimum of five races, ending with the Austrian GP alongside Pierre Gasly. Despite showing promising speed during his stint at Williams, where he accumulated five points in nine races, Colapinto’s frequent involvement in major crashes raised doubts. Villeneuve acknowledged Colapinto’s speed but highlighted the unpredictability of his tendency towards crashes. He pondered whether Colapinto would need to sacrifice speed to avoid crashes and emphasized the uncertainty surrounding his performance. With Colapinto having a year to reflect on his previous season and possessing valuable support, his upcoming races will reveal if he can strike the right balance between speed and consistency.
