Alpine Boss Briatore Condemns Colapinto's "Poor Move" in Baku F1 Crash
Alpine's top executive, Flavio Briatore, has voiced his profound frustration following a race incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that saw both of his team's cars retire. He specifically criticized driver Franco Colapinto for a regrettable maneuver that led to a collision with teammate Pierre Gasly.
The incident occurred on lap 36 of the race, shortly after a safety car restart. Colapinto's vehicle, grappling with dusty, low-grip conditions on the Baku street circuit, locked its front tires. This caused him to swerve and impact Pierre Gasly's car, ultimately forcing both Alpine drivers out of the competition. McLaren's Lando Norris was also caught up in the melee, denying Alpine a strong points finish that seemed within reach.
Both Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris publicly shared their dismay regarding Colapinto's actions. Norris went as far as to suggest that the FIA should consider issuing a one-race ban for what he perceived as reckless driving. Briatore echoed similar sentiments, making no attempt to conceal his disapproval of the young Argentinian driver's performance.
In Alpine's official post-race statement, Briatore was quoted expressing his immense disappointment with the race's outcome. He emphasized the crucial championship points lost due to the incident, especially given that both cars were performing well and positioned to score points. He extended his apologies to his team, to Pierre Gasly, who had an excellent weekend up to that point, and also to Lando Norris and McLaren for the disruption to their race.
Briatore acknowledged that Franco Colapinto had accepted full responsibility for the collision, which he deemed appropriate. He highlighted that Colapinto had braked significantly too late, failing to account for the race context and the restart procedure following the safety car. Briatore characterized this as a highly substandard decision for a driver of Colapinto's purported experience level. He indicated that he would thoroughly review the situation and determine the necessary steps to prevent such occurrences in the future.
The unfortunate event in Baku arrived at a particularly inopportune moment for Colapinto, who had recently been enjoying a period of strong performance in Formula 1. This positive trajectory had previously secured him a new contract with Alpine for the 2027 season, ensuring his continued partnership with Gasly at the Enstone-based squad. The recent misstep casts a shadow over this promising development, prompting a period of reflection and potential reevaluation by the team's leadership.