Colapinto Penalized Following Imola Qualifying Incident
Franco Colapinto faces a one-place grid penalty for the F1 Imola Grand Prix, having infringed on protocol during a red flag scenario. The Argentine rookie, making his debut with Alpine in place of Jack Doohan, encountered trouble after Yuki Tsunoda’s high-speed crash forced the session to pause.
While preparing for the restart, Colapinto mistakenly entered the fast lane of the pit lane before the time was officially confirmed, a breach noted by FIA stewards. The stewards’ report indicated that although the team instructed him to slowly exit the pit, the driver misinterpreted the command, resulting in the sanction.
Colapinto later crashed during qualifying, admitting fault for pushing the car too aggressively. "My first lap was competitive, but there was more to come," he commented. "It’s a pity—a very costly mistake."
Set to start from 16th position, Colapinto expressed regret but remains optimistic. “I’m learning about the car every lap,” he remarked, highlighting the team’s support. “It’s tough in the first race, but I believe we’ll come back stronger.” Following the crash, he received a medical check and was deemed fit to race.
As Colapinto prepares for the Grand Prix, he noted that although his qualifying result did not reflect his progress, he has grown increasingly comfortable with the Alpine.
Additional reporting by Frederik Hackbarth.
