Argentine race driver Franco Colapinto is set to make his Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix debut with Alpine this Sunday. The qualifying for the race will take place on Saturday. 

It’ll be the second outing for the 21-year-old as an Alpine driver. He took over from Australia’s Jack Doohan at Imola last week, in what proved a mixed bag for the Argentine racer, so he’ll look to improve his performance at one of F1’s most historic venues.

What does Colapinto need to do at Monaco?

Colapinto’s main goal will once again be a closer match to teammate Pierre Gasly’s pace than Doohan ever could. In the tight turns of Monaco’s street circuit, precision pays double, as any mistake can prove far costlier than in a regular track.

Key Alpine advisor and interim team principal Flavio Briatore was very clear on the objectives the team has for Colapinto.

“He needs to be fast, not crash, and score points. I’m only asking him these three things,” he told Sky Italia last week. “If he does them well, he will drive forever.”

Briatore’s words were the first hint from an Alpine higher-up that Colapinto could extend his second F1 experience. According to the team’s initial press release, the Argentine driver was to replace Australia’s Jack Doohan only for the next five races, with the team eager to have a “fair assessment of the drivers” ahead of the 2026 season.

Colapinto’s first outing had more downs than ups, something the Argentine driver reflected on recently.

“It was a tough weekend, but there were some positive signs,” the Argentine driver told the Alpine F1 press team about his first outing. “We learned a lot as a team, and I got more and more comfortable in the car as the weekend progressed.”

Colapinto highlighted the feeling of being back on the track and racing. However, he also admitted his qualifying mistake had “big consequences” in the race, something he’ll have to avoid in Monaco.

“It is one of the toughest circuits for overtaking, with no margin for error,” he said. “I am looking forward to getting straight back on track, building up the confidence, and continuing to develop with the team.”

When is Franco Colapinto racing?

The first two practice sessions for the Monaco GP took place on Friday. Colapinto finished 19th in the first one.

A third practice session is set to run on Saturday at 7.30 a.m. After that, the qualifying session will go ahead at 11 a.m. The race starts at 10 a.m. on Sunday. All times are Argentina time.

All races will be broadcast live on cable TV through Fox Sports, which is also available on most providers’ streaming platforms. Fans can also subscribe to streaming service Disney+’s Premium package, currently listed at AR$18.399 (US$ 16.15 at the official rate) per month. The series’ official broadcast, F1TV, also shows the races live, requiring the Pro package that comes at US$69.99.