Franco Colapinto has lavished praise on Alpine team boss Flavio Briatore for defusing the fallout from his catastrophic Azerbaijan Grand Prix crash, crediting the Italian veteran’s man-management skills with saving his seat and restoring team harmony ahead of this weekend’s race in Malaysia.

The Argentine collided with both reigning champion Lando Norris and Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly on lap 35 in Baku following a safety car restart, a chaotic incident that wiped out all three drivers and cost Alpine a potential points haul.

The immediate aftermath was messy. Colapinto apologised profusely for his error, whilst a furious Norris initially called for the 22-year-old to be banned before later walking back those comments and apologising himself for his reaction.

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A livid Briatore vowed to reflect before deciding what action to take. But rather than axing Colapinto from the seat, the legendary team principal chose to resolve the situation internally, a decision the young Argentine driver has called pivotal.

Colapinto will retain his drive for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, being held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit, having made peace with his team and the drivers he collected in Baku.

Briatore’s calming influence

Speaking to reporters at Sepang on Thursday, Colapinto credited Briatore with navigating Alpine through what could have been a team-splitting crisis.

“There are times in the team when everyone is angry, and it’s tricky to move forward,” Colapinto said. “But the important thing is that you always find a way.

“Flavio is a great team leader. He’s really one of the best I’ve had in the sport, of course, since I started. He’s very good at these situations, knowing how to manage them and knowing how to make the team better. So, I’ve always trusted him in this kind of stuff.”

Those are significant words from a driver whose Formula One future hung in the balance just days ago. Briatore, the controversial but undeniably successful figure who masterminded multiple championship wins with Benetton and Renault, has seen it all in F1, and clearly knew how to handle a crisis involving a young driver making a costly mistake.

Immediate damage control

Colapinto revealed he didn’t wait to let wounds fester. Immediately after the Baku debacle, he flew back to Alpine’s base in Enstone, southern England, to confront the situation head-on.

“Of course, Flavio was angry, as everyone in the team was angry,” Colapinto admitted. “And of course I am very sad for what happened, but as a team we had a lot of chats, we learned and we had to move on.”

That willingness to face the music, combined with Briatore’s leadership, appears to have prevented what could have spiralled into a damaging internal conflict.

Peace with Norris and Gasly

Colapinto confirmed he and Norris have since buried the hatchet after the McLaren driver’s inflammatory immediate reaction to the crash.

Also read: World champion’s fury: Norris calls for Colapinto race ban

“I think he was in the heat of the moment,” Colapinto said of Norris’s initial call for him to be banned, a remarkably diplomatic response given the severity of those comments.

As for Gasly, who was also an innocent victim of the collision, Colapinto insists their relationship remains intact. “Pierre is my teammate and we have a very good relationship as well, so for now, everything is good.”

Moving forward

The fact that Colapinto survived the Baku storm speaks volumes about Briatore’s belief in the young driver’s potential. A lesser team boss might have wielded the axe to send a message. Instead, Briatore chose dialogue, confrontation and resolution, classic old-school F1 management from a figure who understands that young drivers make mistakes.

For Colapinto, it’s a reprieve and a lesson. He’ll carry both into the Sepang heat this weekend, knowing his seat is secure but acutely aware that further errors will test even Briatore’s patience.

The storm has passed. Now comes the rebuilding.