Argentine race driver Franco Colapinto will be back in action this weekend as Formula 1 returns from its summer hiatus. The first race in the calendar is the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, a track where the Argentine racer has made the podium in the past.

“I had a fantastic time over the summer break,” Colapinto told the Alpine media team ahead of the race, adding that the hiatus brought much needed quality time with family and friends. “I also focused a lot on training and fitness and I am ready to get back out on track to kick off the second half of the season.”

The 22-year-old also highlighted the team’s hard work over the season as they look forward to the Netherlands GP. Having spent most of his junior career driving for Dutch racing teams like Van Amersfoort Racing and MP Motorsport, he admitted the Netherlands is a place that’s “quite close to [his] heart.”

Colapinto has also taken a liking to Zandvoort. Despite missing the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix, he has some F1 experience on the track as he tested there earlier this year during Alpine’s TPC programme.

What can we expect from Colapinto and Alpine at Zandvoort?

Colapinto has raced at the Dutch circuit twice in his career, first in Formula Renault and then in Formula 3.

His debut came in 2020 with the Formula Renault Eurocup under the MP Motorsport team, while his second experience came two years later, with Van Amersfoort Racing at F3. In both cases, he finished third in the main race.

First opened in 1948, Zandvoort is one of the most historic racetracks in Europe, having hosted the Dutch Grand Prix in five different stints since 1953.

Its defining feature are its banked high-speed curves, an element more commonly found at U.S. high-speed ovals like Indianapolis, Daytona or Talladega. It’s a high aerodynamic load track, with short straights which make it very hard to follow cars closely and overtake.

As such, track position is primordial. The organizers have announced a series of measures aimed at teams favoring two-stop strategies, including increasing the pit-lane top speed from 60 to 80 kph and a softer set of tires.

The track characteristics favor Alpine, who traditionally has done worse at more power oriented tracks. With rain predicted for most of the weekend, the French team will have to pounce on any opportunities, prioritizing a solid qualification on Saturday to stay ahead of the pack come Sunday’s race..

Positive news for Colapinto elsewhere in the paddock

The return of the series wasn’t the only piece of news to hit F1, as the soon-to-join Cadillac F1 team announced its driver lineup for their debut season. It’ll be the experienced pair of Mexico’s Sergio “Checo” Pérez and Finland’s Valtteri Bottas, who amassed an incredible 500 Grands Prix raced between them. 

The news undoubtedly comes as a positive for Colapinto. With the Argentine is still yet to be confirmed as one of Alpine’s main drivers for 2026, the announcement takes two big names off the drivers market. 

Bottas in particular has been heavily linked with an Alpine drive. Last July, Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff confirmed the Renault-owned team has been in talks over a potential move for the Finnish veteran driver.