Source: Official Team Post via X
Alpine's Gasly and Colapinto Penalized, Lose Mexico City GP Points
Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto lost their top-10 finishes in Mexico due to post-race penalties. Both were found guilty of not slowing sufficiently under yellow flag conditions.
Alpine's Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly saw their points slip away after the Mexico City Grand Prix, as both drivers were penalized for failing to slow down under yellow flag conditions. Colapinto initially secured P8 and Gasly P10, but post-race investigations led to their demotion.
In the race, Colapinto had a strong start, moving up from P11 to P7, while Gasly, despite outqualifying his teammate, ended up with the short end of the stick. However, the stewards found both drivers guilty of yellow flag infringements—Colapinto in a single yellow sector and Gasly in a double yellow sector.
The penalties turned out to be costly. Colapinto received a 10-second penalty, while Gasly was hit with a stop-and-go penalty, dropping them both down the order. This reshuffle elevated Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and Haas's Ryo Hirakawa to P9 and P10, respectively.
The stewards' documentation on Colapinto noted that although the Argentine driver and his team presented telemetry and photographic evidence to argue compliance with regulations, the evidence failed to convince the stewards. Consequently, Colapinto also received a penalty point on his super license.
Gasly's case was deemed more serious, resulting in two penalty points. Despite the French driver's claim of having reduced speed, a detailed analysis of telemetry data from multiple cars showed his speed reduction was insufficient for the double yellow flag sector.
With these penalties, the final top 10 at the Mexico City Grand Prix reshuffled, now featuring Liam Lawson in P7, Gabriel Bortoleto in P8, followed by Hadjar and Hirakawa. Oscar Piastri also faced a penalty for causing a collision, further altering the final standings.
In summary, it was a tough day for Alpine, as what initially seemed like a successful double points finish turned into a regulatory setback. The event serves as a reminder of the importance of adhering to race protocols, especially concerning safety flags.