Overview
- Franco Colapinto finished FP1 in 20th with a 1:36.758, nearly two seconds off Charles Leclerc’s session-leading time.
- In FP2 he improved to 16th with a 1:34.824, closing the gap to teammate Pierre Gasly (12th) to about four tenths as Lando Norris topped the times.
- He reported severe rear-grip problems and said the chassis changed after his Brazil crash could not be repaired for this weekend.
- Colapinto asked his team to try a different helmet after feeling uncomfortable early in the running, seeking relief for the later sessions.
- Practice was punctuated by cool, low-grip conditions and two late red flags for track maintenance, while Colapinto downplayed recent barbs from Lance Stroll and remains confirmed by Alpine for 2026 despite still having zero points in 2025.