The Argentine pilot had an incident with his former Williams partner whom FIA penalized her for her maneuver.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix registered a key incident when Alex Albon crashed against Franco Colapinto in Curve 5. The Argentine pilot suffered damage to his Alpine that affected his performance during the rest of the race. The sports commissioners analyzed the maneuver and determined that Albon was solely responsible for the contact.
The sanction applied to the Thai pilot included a penalty in its final time and the addition of points to its superlicance. This punishment means that a new serious infraction could result in a suspension for a Grand Prix. Albon recognized his responsibility after the race and explained that the error affected his own performance in the following turns.
Franco Colapint
F1
The sanction Alex Albon received in the Azerbaijan GP
The sports commissioners detailed in their report that Albon tried to advance Collapint inside the curve 5 without having their front axle aligned with the Alpine mirror. According to the regulation, this maneuver did not meet the requirements to carry out a safe overtaking, since the pillare maintained the normal race. As a consequence, it was considered that Albon was totally responsible for the incident and A penalty of ten seconds was applied that relegated it from the 11th to 13th in the final classification.
In addition to the penalization of time, Albon received two additional points in his superlicnceaccumulating a total of four in the last year. This record places it in a critical situation, since reaching twelve points in a period of twelve months implies an automatic suspension for a race. The FIA maintains strict control over this type of maneuvers to guarantee track safety and avoid incidents that may compromise the integrity of the pilots.
Colapinto overcame Pierre Gasly on the track
Franco Colapinto again demonstrated his ability to overcome his teammate, Pierre Gasly, despite the limitations of Alpine’s car. During the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Argentine pilot made outstanding maneuvershow to resist Nico Hülkenberg’s attack in the start and advance Oliver Bearman in the third curve. Besides, executed a precise maneuver to overcome Lance Strolldemonstrating his ability in defense and attack with a less competitive car.
Collapint’s performance contrasts with the general difficulties of the Alpine team, which currently occupies the last place in the Builder Championship. Despite not having a complete preseason and joining the team on the seventh date of the calendar, The Argentine managed to overcome Gasly in three of the latest classifications and on several occasions during the races. His constant evolution and his ability to quickly adapt to the car position him as a strong candidate to maintain his place in the team during the 2026 season.
Source: Ambito
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