Just like Mika Häkkinen against Michael Schumacher in 2000: Franco Colapinto pulled off a double overtaking maneuver in Belgium—here’s what the Alpine driver himself has to say about it
There are some overtaking maneuvers in Formula 1 that remain unforgettable to this day: The move by McLaren driver Mika Häkkinen, who simultaneously passed Ferrari rival Michael Schumacher and Ricardo Zonta (BAR-Honda)—who was about to be lapped—on the Kemmel Straight during the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix, is undoubtedly one of them.
Nearly 26 years later, an almost identical replica of this legendary scene unfolded at the very same spot: At the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, Alpine driver Franco Colapinto overtook both his teammate Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson in the Racing Bulls, gaining two positions in a single move.
“I especially liked the double pass that secured me tenth place [and with it, a World Championship point],” said the Argentine with a broad grin after crossing the finish line. “I was able to pull it off thanks to a good run-up and the slipstream.”
T H R E E W I D E
Epic footage and unbelievable racing as Colapinto gets past Lawson and Gasly F1 BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/PzsLXRKAQt
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 19, 2026
“I just had to try to pass Liam [Lawson] on the inside and then get just ahead of Pierre to complete the move.” It was the 30th lap of the race. All three drivers had already completed their pit stops and switched from medium tires to the harder compound.
Expert Surer calls it the “overtaking move of the race”
For former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer, Colapinto’s move was the “overtaking maneuver of the race, when he passed Lawson and Gasly in one go.” The expert gave the Alpine driver a grade of 2 for it.
Less pleased, however, was teammate Pierre Gasly, who finished only twelfth and thus failed to score any points. Even the early stages of the race didn’t go as planned. “We tried an undercut to get past the Racing Bulls, but our pit stop was relatively slow.”
“In my opinion, the race could have gone differently if we’d had a better track position and been ahead of the Racing Bulls [on the outlap],” the Frenchman believes. “So there are a few things we need to analyze, and I need to understand them.”
Colapinto: World Championship Point in the Race, World Championship Defeat in the Evening
“After that, lap after lap, there were countless tactics regarding energy management and passing maneuvers on the Kemmel Straight,” says Gasly, likely referring to the double passing maneuver. “Things didn’t go as I’d hoped today, but the big picture shows above all that we aren’t fast enough.”
Racing Bulls and Alpine are now tied on points in the Constructors’ Championship. “Generally speaking, we know where we stand in the competition and where we’re lacking speed,” adds Colapinto. “Compared to some of the recent tracks, we were definitely a bit stronger here.”
However, it would prove to be Colapinto’s only highlight of the day: The Argentine, who had been more nervous ahead of the World Cup final than before the race itself, had to watch that evening as his national team, led by Lionel Messi, lost 0–1 to world champions Spain in extra time.
