Franco Colapinto Retains Alpine Seat After Azerbaijan GP Crash
Franco Colapinto appears to have avoided being dropped by Alpine Formula 1 boss Flavio Briatore after causing a late-race accident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Colapinto locked his brakes during a safety-car restart and collided with Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren driver Lando Norris, costing Alpine the opportunity to secure a double-points finish.
Briatore’s post-race comments prompted speculation that Alpine could replace Colapinto with reserve driver Paul Aron for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Colapinto has already been handed a five-place grid penalty after being found responsible for causing the collision.
“I want to take time to reflect on it and consider what course of action should be taken, so we can learn from it and avoid such a situation in future,”
Instead of being removed from the line-up, Colapinto travelled overnight from Baku to the United Kingdom on a direct Formula 1 charter flight. Alpine placed him in the team’s simulator immediately after he arrived at the factory in the early hours of the following morning.
The simulator session was understood to be an acclimatisation measure rather than a punishment. The programme was intended to help Colapinto adjust to the time difference in Malaysia ahead of the next round of the triple-header.
Colapinto Says Race Suspension Was Not Considered
Speaking at Sepang on Thursday, Colapinto said he never believed Alpine would suspend him from the race despite Briatore’s anger following the Azerbaijan incident.
“Not really,”
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he said when asked whether being replaced by Aron had been a possible outcome.
“Actually, I went straight after the race to the sim. I was in the factory straight away. Getting ready for the race here in Malaysia. Those things never change.
“And our prep for the future never really changed. Of course, Flavio was angry and everyone in the team was angry. It’s not a nice situation to be in and even worse to be the one creating that situation. It’s the last thing that you want as a team.
“It’s not a nice situation to be in. But we fixed it internally and they’ve been fully supportive – and willing to look forward very quickly.”
Colapinto’s comments indicate that Alpine has dealt with the Azerbaijan crash internally and is focused on the upcoming race rather than making an immediate change to its driver pairing. The Argentine remains set to compete for Alpine, while the five-place grid drop continues to apply.
Data Explains Colapinto’s Turn 1 Lock-Up
The collision occurred at Turn 1 during the safety-car restart in Baku and initially appeared to be a major error by Colapinto. However, analysis of the data reportedly showed that the mistake was relatively small. Colapinto carried extra speed because of the slipstream effect and applied slightly too much braking pressure.
“Touch the brakes 2-3% too much, you lock the front and you don’t stop,”
Colapinto explained.
“It’s quite simple. Everyone had a lock-up. It’s just in a point where you are running with much more speed – you suddenly have a lot of energy because you didn’t deploy [on the straight, because of the safety car]. We were suddenly doing 320, 330 [km/h] in a corner that maybe you are not [usually] doing as much.
“Touch your brakes, you lock. Just again a silly mistake that a lot of drivers did. Lando had it a few laps before… Oscar [Piastri] locked up a few laps after in turn 1 as well. I think you don’t need to look at it like something very tricky to understand. It’s just a lock-up. Of course it had really big consequences.”
Colapinto therefore characterised the crash as a straightforward lock-up made more severe by the unusually high speed at the restart. Although other drivers, including Norris and Oscar Piastri, also experienced lock-ups around Turn 1, Colapinto’s error had significant consequences because it collected Gasly and Norris.
Why This Matters
The incident tested Alpine’s confidence in Colapinto during a tightly scheduled run of races. The team’s decision to send him directly to its simulator, rather than replace him with Paul Aron, shows that its immediate response was focused on preparation and rapid recovery. Colapinto’s five-place grid penalty remains an additional challenge for the next race in Malaysia.
The episode also highlights the difficulty of safety-car restarts in Formula 1. Cars can approach the first corner with substantial speed while carrying energy that was not deployed during the preceding straight, leaving drivers with a narrow margin for error. In Colapinto’s case, a small increase in braking pressure produced a lock-up with major consequences for Alpine, McLaren and the championship race.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Franco Colapinto race for Alpine in Malaysia?
Yes. Colapinto travelled to Alpine’s UK factory, completed simulator preparation and said that being replaced by reserve driver Paul Aron was not a realistic outcome.
What penalty did Franco Colapinto receive?
Colapinto received a five-place grid drop after being found responsible for causing the Azerbaijan Grand Prix collision.
Who was involved in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix crash?
Colapinto’s lock-up during the safety-car restart led to contact involving his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Lando Norris.
