The former director of Haas, Guenther Steineranalyzed Franco Colapinto’s current situation in Alpine. The Argentine pilot faces a key moment in his career, with six seats for Define for the 2026 season. Flavio Briatore, Alpine advisor, will announce his decision between October and November, where Colapint competes with Paul Aron for the place with Pierre Gasly.
Steiner highlighted the progress of Colapint despite the limitations of the current car. Your opinion acquires weight by his History of accurate predictions, such as when he anticipated the transfer of Williams’s Argentine to Alpine before his official confirmation.
Guenther Steiner’s trajectory, former Haas chief
Guenther Steiner accumulated More than three decades of motorcycle experience. His career began in the rally, where he worked as a mechanic at Mazda Rally Team Europe. In 1987, his team achieved Timo’s first victory Salonen in the Rally in Sweden.
In the 90s, Steiner served as technical director at Jolly Club Spa, where He helped Lancia to win two world builders championships. Then, in M-Sport, led the development of Ford Focus World Rally Car, achieving second place in the manufacturers championship in 2000 and 2001.
In 2002, Niki Lauda hired him as general director of Jaguar Racing. In 2005, he joined Red Bull Racing as Technical Director of Operations. In 2006, he founded the Nascar de Red Bull team in the United States, where he built a structure of more than 200 people.
In 2014, Gene Haas chose him to direct the new Haas F1 team teamwhich debuted in 2016 with the best result for a rookie team in the 21st century. Steiner left Haas in early 2024 after eight seasons in front.
Alpine’s performance in the 2025 championship
Alpine It occupies the last place in the 2025 Construction Championship. Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly closed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in the last positions. However, Colapinto managed to match the rhythm of Gasly in the last races.
The Argentine obtained his best result of the season in the Netherlands, With an eleventh place. In Italy, Briatore recognized its consistency in the last four races, an advance regarding the criticisms received in August.
Guenther Steiner’s vision about Franco Colapinto
Steiner evaluated the present of Colapinto in the podcast The Red Flags: “He is progressing. He clashes against the wall, but look what that car is. You can’t judge a pilot with such a car”. He compared his situation with Gabriel Bortoleto in Sauber, who improved his results when the car gained competitiveness.
The former head of Haas predicted that Colapinto will begin the 20th season in Alpine, but will face a trial period: “Briatore wants to wait. He will keep him at the beginning of next year and see how he yields with the new car. If he does not meet, he will leave.” Steiner suggested that the first six 2026 races will be key to their continuity.
The Italian too He remembered his positive collapint impression during his passage through Williams in 2024, where the Argentine achieved an eighth place in Baku and an eleventh in Singapore. His experience with young pilots supports his perspective on the development of talents in adverse conditions.
Steiner emphasized that Briatore prioritizes stability in a year of regulatory changes. The comparison with Gasly will be the main challenge for Colapint. The Argentine must demonstrate consistency and avoid errors to consolidate his place in the team.
Source: Ambito
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