Alpine’s rookie driver Franco Colapinto has been handed a one-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix after breaching pit lane procedures during qualifying at Imola. The penalty came shortly before the 21-year-old Argentine crashed out in Q1.
Colapinto, who recently stepped into the Alpine seat replacing Australian Jack Doohan, was classified 15th in the opening phase of qualifying before his session ended prematurely due to a crash. However, it was a procedural violation during a red-flag stoppage that drew the attention of the stewards.
According to the post-session report, Colapinto entered the fast lane of the pit lane before the session restart time had been officially confirmed — a breach of strict safety regulations.
“The team representative stated that he gave the instruction for the car to creep out but not be fully released. The driver misunderstood the instruction and entered the fast lane before the restart time was officially confirmed,” read the stewards’ statement. “Once this was done, it was too late to reverse course and the team instructed the driver to proceed down the pit lane.”
Although Alpine argued that no sporting advantage was gained from the move — as it occurred early in Q1 and Colapinto’s session ended in a crash — the stewards upheld the rules and issued a one-place grid drop.
It’s another challenging moment for Colapinto as he navigates his rookie season in Formula 1, stepping into one of the most scrutinized seats at a Renault-owned Alpine team that continues to undergo restructuring. Sunday’s race will be a test of resilience for the young driver as he looks to bounce back from both the penalty and the crash.
