Overview

• After finishing 18th in FP1 at Zandvoort, Franco Colapinto improved to ninth in FP2 with a 1:10.957, his best practice result since joining Alpine.
• He ended the session about one second off pace-setter Lando Norris, while teammate Pierre Gasly ran mostly on mediums and classified 19th.
• Colapinto described the Alpine A525 as very unpredictable, saying small setup tweaks produce big handling swings and that slow corners remain a key weakness.
• Alpine chief Flavio Briatore said the 22-year-old faces excessive pressure and may have been promoted too soon, noting he remains without points after seven races.
• Williams boss James Vowles publicly backed Colapinto and pointed to past strong performances when pressure was reduced, as some outlets report talk of race-by-race evaluations of his seat.