BREAKING;FIA announce penalty verdict after embarrassing incident at Imola …read more
FIA announce penalty verdict after embarrassing incident at Imola …read more
The FIA has issued a one-place grid penalty to Alpine’s Franco Colapinto following a procedural error during qualifying for the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. The incident occurred when Colapinto prematurely entered the pit lane’s fast lane before the official restart time had been confirmed, following a red flag caused by Yuki Tsunoda’s crash in Q1.
Alpine’s team representative explained that the instruction was for Colapinto to “creep out” but not fully enter the fast lane. However, the driver misunderstood, leading to a breach of Article 12.2.1 i) of the International Sporting Code and non-compliance with the race director’s event notes.
The stewards acknowledged the miscommunication but deemed a sporting penalty necessary, resulting in Colapinto receiving a one-place grid drop for Sunday’s race. This penalty aligns with precedents set earlier in the season, where similar infractions by Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in Bahrain also led to one-place grid penalties.
This incident adds to Alpine’s recent challenges, including leadership changes and internal turmoil. Colapinto, a promising young driver, was recently promoted to the main team amid these upheavals.
Despite the setback, Colapinto remains focused on delivering a strong performance in the race. The team will be working to ensure clearer communication in future sessions to avoid similar incidents.
