Breaking: FIA confirm grid drop for F1 star after qualifying inc….read more 

FIA confirm grid drop for F1 star after qualifying inc….read more 

The FIA has officially confirmed that Alpine driver Franco Colapinto will face a grid penalty for a procedural mistake made during qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. The decision follows an incident involving Colapinto during the early stages of qualifying, which took place under red flag conditions triggered by a significant crash involving AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda in Q1.

Colapinto, who is making his return to the Formula 1 grid as a full-time Alpine driver after replacing Jack Doohan following the Miami Grand Prix, misinterpreted team instructions during the red flag period. While the session was temporarily halted, Colapinto exited the pit lane before an official restart time had been confirmed by race control. This move was in direct violation of the established procedures under red flag conditions, which are designed to ensure the safety of drivers and track personnel.

Following the incident, the FIA stewards summoned Colapinto and a representative from the Alpine team to review the circumstances surrounding the breach. After listening to the explanations provided, the stewards concluded that the Argentine driver had indeed committed an infraction. Specifically, Colapinto was found to have breached Article 12.2.1 i) of the FIA’s International Sporting Code, which relates to non-compliance with the instructions of officials and the event regulations. He was also found in violation of the race director’s specific event notes, which provide guidance on procedures during red flags and other safety-related situations.

Although the stewards acknowledged that the incident stemmed from a misunderstanding rather than deliberate wrongdoing, they emphasized the importance of adhering to procedural rules, especially during safety-critical moments like red flag periods. The rules are in place not only to ensure fairness in competition but also to maintain a high standard of safety during the event. As such, the stewards determined that a sporting penalty was necessary to uphold the integrity of the regulations.

As a result, Colapinto will serve a grid drop penalty for Sunday’s main race at Imola. The exact number of positions he will drop has not been publicly disclosed in the initial statement, but such penalties typically range from three to five grid places, depending on the nature and severity of the infraction.

The penalty marks an unfortunate setback for Colapinto as he begins his full-time Formula 1 career with Alpine. Nevertheless, the team and driver will be looking to regroup and put in a strong performance during the race, despite the disadvantage of starting further back on the grid.