Argentine racing driver Franco Colapinto talked to Argentine media on Tuesday at the F1 75 gala, a season-introductory event in London.

The motorist, who recently switched teams from Williams Racing to Alpine F1, discussed his feelings about the change, the rumors surrounding potentially replacing current driver Jack Doohan from Australia, and his relationship with key team advisor Flavio Briatore.

“I’m just helping the team,” he told Argentine news show Telenoche. He added that, given that he’s still not a main driver, his job is to support his teammates and help them get points consistently. 

“That’s the goal this year.”

Colapinto talked about his switch to Alpine, admitting that interest in him began to fade after being flooded with attention in his first races due to the fact that he struggled in later competitions.

“In the end, Alpine was the best option, and the one that gave me more opportunities for a main driver seat in the future,” he said. He went on to say that it was a “pleasure” to be part of a team with so much history, praising Renault CEO Luca De Meo and Briatore for having “clear goals.”

The 21-year-old said it’s “an honor and a motive of pride” to have been chosen by Briatore. 

“He’s the one who found [Michael Schumacher] and [Fernando] Alonso. He’s got a lot of history in F1 and he’s going with his gut; he hasn’t missed so far.”

Colapinto said he’s still adjusting after arriving from Williams, where the car’s systems, steering wheel layout and setup were different. He insisted he’s “learned a lot” in the last month, and he’s now “trying to put it all together.”

The Argentine driver talked about the rumors that surrounded him in November, after he was seen in Madrid with actress and model María Eugenia “China” Suárez.

“Luckily it didn’t affect me,” he claimed. “I feel it’s easy to criticize when you haven’t been in a situation like that. When you grow up all of a sudden, you stop being a normal 18-year-old kid and people start to know you, it’s complicated to handle it.”

He added he didn’t enjoy his private life being discussed over his sporting achievements, but insisted he’s past it.

“When you make a mistake, the important thing is to learn from it,” he said.