By: The new regulatory era has brought with it a wide range of changes; in short, a major challenge for everyone: engineers and, above all, drivers, who have had to adapt quickly and almost learn to drive from scratch, altering or even “forgetting” what they had learned since their karting days.
In this analysis, we will put the Colapinto-Lawson duo, who have been performing so well this season, under the microscope, as well as Piastri, who is, by contrast, experiencing his most difficult campaign since arriving in Formula 1.
Franco’s step forward
One driver who has undoubtedly taken a step forward this year is the Argentine, who is no longer far off the pace of the man who has for years been Alpine’s undisputed benchmark: Pierre Gasly. This scenario has also secured Colapinto a contract extension.
His progress has also been helped by the step forward made by the Enstone team itself, thanks to the latest upgrade package introduced at Zandvoort. It not only delivered the incredible pole position at Monza, but also, overall, put the French team back in contention for regular points finishes and, consequently, fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
Liam’s resurgence
A broadly similar case applies to the 2002-born Racing Bulls driver, who has so far proved very solid with the Faenza-based team and is now confirming his established maturity through markedly improved performances over the last three rounds, when he was called up by Red Bull to replace Isack Hadjar.
This is therefore, without a shadow of a doubt, the best version of the New Zealander, a far cry from the driver who was demoted after just two weekends a year ago. In recent weeks, however, there has been talk of his possible replacement for 2027 in favour of current Formula 2 championship leader Nikola Tsolov. Yet the question naturally arises: can a Lawson like this really be discarded?
Oscar’s struggles
We now turn to the driver who is struggling considerably: the McLaren Australian, who appears to be the most troubled among those who have struggled to get to grips with the new generation of cars, certainly among the top teams.
Compared with 2025, Piastri’s performances have undoubtedly suffered a sharp decline, with the gap to Lando Norris growing considerably. In fairness, however, it must be pointed out that the reigning World Champion has been a completely different driver since winning the title: far more self-assured and capable of carrying the team on his shoulders.
Cover photo pbs.twimg.com
Cover photo pbs.twimg.com
Cover photo pbs.twimg.com
