Flavio Briatore says he's staying calm and "patient" with Franco Colapinto after the Argentine's difficult debut for Alpine at Imola.
Backed by passionate Argentine support and strong corporate sponsorship from home, the 21-year-old was drafted in to replace Jack Doohan.
While it was initially claimed his seat was guaranteed for five races, Briatore quickly dismissed that idea.
"No, no," said the 75-year-old Alpine boss, who orchestrated Colapinto's loan from Williams over the winter.
"Forget about five races. I decide."
That vote of confidence will come as a relief for Colapinto, who endured a baptism of fire at Imola. A rookie misstep earned him a grid penalty, he frustrated rivals by getting in the way in practice, and a major crash ended his qualifying early.
He eventually finished 16th on Sunday, despite retirements from Kimi Antonelli and Esteban Ocon.
Still, Colapinto was focused on the positives when speaking to the Spanish press.
"With each lap I drove, I felt more comfortable with the car and closer to (Pierre) Gasly, who is the benchmark in the team."
Asked about the next race in Monaco, Colapinto said his confidence remains intact.
"I'm going to be confident there," he said. "But I'll have to take it easy and go little by little.
"The goal here was to finish the race. Scoring points from where we started was difficult, but we did everything possible."
Despite being the man who abruptly dropped Doohan after just six races, Briatore urged a more measured approach this time.
"This was his first race (for Alpine) and he was in a difficult situation because of his accident," he told Viaplay.
"We will see. We have to be patient because he is a young guy with a lot of potential."
But lurking in the background are others waiting for a shot — including Alpine reserve Jack Doohan, and World Endurance Championship driver Mick Schumacher.
"Mick has more experience than Colapinto," former F1 racer Timo Glock told Sky Deutschland.
Glock noted that Schumacher consistently outpaces his teammates in Alpine's WEC programme — and added that his connection to Briatore via Mick's father Michael Schumacher could also play a role.
"He would definitely be a candidate if Colapinto doesn't deliver," Glock said.
"In the WEC, Mick is always the fastest of the three drivers in that car, an Alpine. So he's definitely an option."
