Colapinto plays down prospect of missing Sepang weekend
Franco Colapinto has played down the suggestion that he might miss the Sepang race weekend following his collision with Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly in Azerbaijan.
At a safety-car restart in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Franco Colapinto hit Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly, who then made contact with Lando Norris. All three retired. Briatore described Colapinto’s move as poor but said he wanted time to consider what, if any, action Alpine should take. He said Colapinto had accepted responsibility and that the team should learn from the incident. No specific team sanction was announced.
Colapinto apologised, saying he had locked up on cold tyres and brakes and lost control. He said Alpine had been in a position to score points with both cars before the collision.
RacingNews365 also reports that a ten-second penalty Colapinto could not serve after retiring became a five-place grid drop. The penalty applies to the race at Sepang.
Update
Asked whether sitting out the Sepang weekend had been a genuine possibility, Colapinto replied: “Not really.” He said he had returned to Alpine’s factory to prepare for the race and that his preparations had not changed. RacingNews365 also reports that Alpine named him in its race preview and put him back in the simulator at Enstone.
Colapinto said he locked up at Turn 1, accepted responsibility for the collision and apologised for taking out Gasly and Lando Norris. He acknowledged Flavio Briatore’s anger, but said the team had dealt with the matter internally and had been supportive.
Sources 02
- SOURCEFlavio Briatore threatens Alpine 'action' after costly Franco Colapinto errorRacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-09-26
- SOURCEFranco Colapinto addresses Alpine benching speculation after team angerRacingNews365 English · Source date as found: 2026-10-01
Source context
RacingNews365 English, 26 September 2026; race account and comments from Briatore and Colapinto.
RacingNews365 reported Colapinto’s remarks and described Alpine’s race preview ahead of the Sepang weekend.
Claims and supporting evidence 9
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Azerbaijan Grand Prix race incident 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, reported on 26 September 2026 The incident and retirements are described by the retrieved article; no race record or second report was retrieved.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Briatore's response to the incident Comments reported on 26 September 2026 The article publishes Briatore's remarks but does not identify an independently retrieved original recording or statement.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto's account and potential points After the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix incident The mechanical explanation and assessment of the points opportunity are attributed to Colapinto, not independently measured in the retrieved material.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Reported sporting penalty Penalty reported on 26 September 2026; application at a later race No stewards' decision was retrieved.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto’s response to speculation about missing the upcoming race at Sepang Ahead of the October 2026 race weekend at Sepang The supplied report contains Colapinto’s answer but no Alpine decision record.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto’s account of his preparation and Alpine’s reported race plans Between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix incident and the upcoming Sepang weekend Alpine’s original preview was not supplied; the preview and simulator details are RacingNews365’s account.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto’s explanation of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix collision The Azerbaijan Grand Prix and Colapinto’s subsequent comments His explanation of how the collision happened is attributed to him, rather than established here from footage or telemetry.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Reported sporting consequence of the Azerbaijan collision After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, applying to the upcoming Sepang weekend The stewards’ decision itself was not supplied.
This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Briatore’s reported reaction and Colapinto’s description of the team’s response After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and before the Sepang weekend Briatore’s original statement was not supplied. The account of the team’s internal resolution is Colapinto’s.
Corrections and updates to this story
De tekst verduidelijkt dat de straf geldt voor de Grand Prix van Bahrein in Maleisië op Sepang. Een onterechte suggestie van tegenstrijdige locatiegegevens is verwijderd.
Updated with a material new development verified through a separate News Made Clear newsroom run.
This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.