Franco Colapinto has retained the full support of Alpine and team boss Flavio Briatore despite triggering a collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that eliminated Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris. The incident, caused by locking brakes during a safety car restart, resulted in a five-place grid penalty for Colapinto. Briatore initially sparked speculation of a potential drop for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, stating he needed time to reflect on the incident.
However, Colapinto traveled overnight to the UK via a direct F1 charter flight and immediately used the simulator upon arrival, which the team confirmed was an acclimatisation strategy for the time difference ahead of the Malaysian leg of the triple-header, not a punishment. Colapinto affirmed that a race suspension was never considered and emphasized the team's internal resolution and forward-looking attitude. He acknowledged the mistake was simple—a minor brake lock-up amplified by high speed from the slipstream—and noted similar incidents occurred with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Alpine maintains Colapinto remains in their plans, with Briatore and the team expressing anger but full support and a willingness to move forward quickly.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing