BREAKING: Franco Colapinto Handed Grid PENALTY on Alpine Debut After…read more
Franco Colapinto Handed Grid Penalty on Alpine Debut After Pit Lane Miscommunication
Franco Colapinto has been handed a one-place grid penalty for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix following a pit lane rules breach during Saturday’s qualifying session.
The incident occurred after a red flag was brought out in Q1 due to Yuki Tsunoda’s dramatic rollover crash. While the track underwent repairs, the FIA issued an “estimated start time” for the session to resume.
During this pause, several drivers were lined up outside their garages but stayed out of the pit lane’s ‘fast lane,’ as required by the rules. Regulations prohibit drivers from moving to the end of the pit lane until the official restart time is confirmed.
However, Colapinto, due to a misunderstanding with the Alpine team, moved his car from the designated waiting area and stationed himself at the end of the pit lane too early. Although Alpine apologized for the error, Colapinto was placed under investigation by the stewards.
Race control cited him in Q1 for “failing to follow the race director’s instructions – entering the fast lane before resumption time announced.” As a result, Colapinto has been demoted one place and will now start the race from 16th on the grid. His qualifying session had already ended prematurely after he lost control at the Tamburello chicane.
The incident draws comparisons to the Bahrain Grand Prix, where Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were also penalised one grid spot each. They had positioned themselves at the pit exit before race control had given the green light following a crash by Esteban Ocon in Q2. The stewards concluded that this could have offered Mercedes a competitive edge and imposed a sporting penalty.
Colapinto’s penalty reinforces the FIA’s strict stance on pit lane procedures during red flag suspensions.
