Franco Colapinto penalty, USA News (Mexico): Franco Colapinto received a severe penalty following his participation in the Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix, leaving him outside the points-scoring positions. The Argentine driver had initially finished eighth in the race and advanced another position following a penalty given to Oscar Piastri, but a subsequent decision by the sports commissioners altered his final result.
The sanction was issued during Sunday night and resulted from failing to adequately reduce speed in a section of the circuit where a yellow flag was displayed. After reviewing telemetry and onboard camera footage, the commissioners determined that the Argentine driver had not followed the safety instructions.
As a result, a 10-second penalty was applied, dropping him down to 15th place in the final classification. Consequently, Colapinto lost the points he had secured in a race where he originally managed to finish among the top ten.
This outcome also marked a significant shift for Alpine, which went from having both of its drivers in the points-scoring zone to finishing empty-handed. His teammate, Pierre Gasly, received a 30-second penalty for failing to slow down under a double yellow flag and finished in 17th place.
The ruling delivered a heavy blow to Colapinto, who had initially celebrated an eighth-place finish and was later elevated to seventh after the penalty given to Piastri, who had been sanctioned for causing a collision with Liam Lindblad.
