14/06/2026 18:22 - Deportes
Un monoplaza de Fórmula 1 color azul y rosa de Alpine acelerando en una pista de carreras con curvas, con banderas amarillas en los costados y un ambiente de competición profesional
Franco Colapinto experienced a weekend of mixed emotions at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. The Argentine driver for Alpine had achieved a commendable eighth place after a solid race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but the celebration was short-lived: FIA stewards imposed a 10-second penalty for failing to respect a single yellow flag zone, reclassifying him to tenth position.
The penalty meant Colapinto lost three championship points (dropping from 4 to just 1 point for this race) and also received one penalty point on his Super License. The driver from Buenos Aires now has 2 penalty points on his license: one for this infraction and another from June 29, 2025, when he made a maneuver that affected Oscar Piastri in Austria.
Franco Colapinto is an Argentine racing driver who has become a national sensation in Argentina. Born in Pilar, Buenos Aires Province, the 22-year-old (as of 2025) has brought renewed passion for Formula 1 to the South American nation, becoming the first Argentine to score points in F1 in decades. His aggressive driving style and charismatic personality have made him a fan favorite.
Stewards determined that Colapinto breached Article B1.8.4.a of the sporting regulations, which establishes the obligation to reduce speed perceptibly when a single yellow flag is displayed in a sector of the circuit.
According to the official ruling, after evaluating GPS positioning data, telemetry, radio transmissions, and on-board videos, the Argentine driver's deceleration before the affected sector was insufficient to comply with current safety regulations.
FIA regulations indicate that when a driver accumulates 12 penalty points on their Super License during a 12-month period, they face an automatic one-race suspension. Colapinto now has 2 points and must be careful in upcoming competitions.
A yellow flag in Formula 1 indicates a hazard ahead on the track—such as a crashed car, debris, or slippery conditions. Drivers must slow down and be prepared to stop. A single waved yellow means "reduce your speed and do not overtake," while a double yellow means "slow down significantly and be prepared to stop." Failing to respect yellow flags is taken very seriously as it endangers marshals and other drivers.
Colapinto sits in 12th place in the Drivers' Championship
Despite the penalty, Flavio Briatore, Alpine's executive advisor, positively highlighted the work of the Argentine driver and his teammate Pierre Gasly. The Italian valued the team's ability to recover from a complicated weekend.
"Today the team achieved a spectacular comeback, considering how we started the day. We went from starting outside the top 10 to finishing with both cars in the points. Congratulations to Pierre and Franco for their cooperation and teamwork to maximize our position in the race."
Briatore also pointed out a characteristic of the car: "Our car seems to perform better and be more competitive on Sundays than on Saturdays," acknowledging the need to improve qualifying performance.
Flavio Briatore is a legendary Italian businessman and Formula 1 figure. As former team principal of Benetton and Renault, he led Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso to world championships. In 2024, he returned to F1 as executive advisor for Alpine, bringing his decades of experience to help the struggling French team. His praise for Colapinto carries significant weight in the F1 paddock.
The Argentine started from 13th position after a complicated qualifying session where he beat his teammate Gasly by only 7 thousandths of a second. At the start, Colapinto made a great launch with soft tires and gained two positions.
During the race, he received a team order to let Gasly pass, a strategy that allowed the Frenchman to finish seventh. The retirements of Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) facilitated both Alpine cars' advancement into the points zone.
Victory went to Lewis Hamilton, who secured his first win with Ferrari and his first since July 2024. The British driver solidified his second place in the championship with 115 points.
The podium was entirely British:
🥇 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
🥈 George Russell (Mercedes)
🥉 Lando Norris (McLaren)
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli retired due to a failure in his Mercedes but maintains the top spot with 156 points.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K. Antonelli | Mercedes | 156 |
| 2 | L. Hamilton | Ferrari | 115 |
| 3 | G. Russell | Mercedes | 106 |
| 4 | C. Leclerc | Ferrari | 75 |
| 5 | L. Norris | McLaren | 73 |
| 6 | O. Piastri | McLaren | 68 |
| 7 | M. Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 55 |
| 8 | P. Gasly | Alpine | 41 |
| 9 | I. Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 34 |
| 10 | L. Lawson | RB | 28 |
| 12 | F. Colapinto | Alpine | 16 |
The Formula 1 World Championship will continue from June 26-28 with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. Alpine arrives at the European round with high morale after scoring points with both drivers in Barcelona, though with the pending task of improving qualifying performance.
Colapinto will look to continue scoring points and stay away from penalties that could complicate his championship. The French team remains fifth in the Constructors' Championship with 57 points, behind Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull.
Sources: Motorsport.com | Infobae
Alfredo S. Quiroga
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