Following the race in Barcelona, Franco Colapinto receives a penalty from the stewards—the Alpine driver loses two positions in the standings due to a yellow-flag violation
The Barcelona Grand Prix ended for Franco Colapinto with a post-race time penalty. The Alpine F1 Team driver was set back by ten seconds due to a yellow-flag violation, causing him to drop in the final standings as well.
Colapinto had initially finished the Barcelona Grand Prix in a strong eighth place. He finished ahead of his teammate Pierre Gasly, meaning both Alpine cars were in the points.
After the race, however, the Argentine’s conduct was investigated by the race stewards. On lap 40, Fernando Alonso triggered a yellow flag period, likely due to a battery issue with his Aston Martin.
Colapinto comments on the race
Before the penalty was imposed, Colapinto said: “It was a very good race, very solid. As a team, we showed that we were really strong and turned a difficult result around. I think overall it’s positive; it was a much stronger race day.”
“With a full tank, we showed that we were better. We’ll keep working and try to improve for the next races, as we can see that the car doesn’t feel right and we need to improve and understand many things,” the Argentine continued.
Decision only after the race ended
After the race ended, race control concluded that Colapinto had behaved incorrectly during the yellow flag phase. The stewards’ statement reads: “The stewards note that the driver of car 43 slightly reduced speed before entering the single-yellow-flag zone, but did not noticeably reduce speed in the relevant sector of the yellow flag.”
“The stewards acknowledge that the driver reacted to the yellow flag, but do not consider the reaction sufficient to comply with the regulations. Therefore, a penalty at the lower end of the applicable penalty scale is imposed,” the explanation continues.
Demotion in the standings and Super License penalty
As a result of the penalty, Colapinto lost two positions in the final standings and important points for the team. Alpine now sits in fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, between Red Bull and Racing Bull, following the correction of the result.
In addition, Colapinto received a penalty point on his Super License for his offense, bringing his total penalty points over the past twelve months to two.
