Alpine Loses Mexican Grand Prix Points After Colapinto and Gasly Penalties

Alpine’s double-points finish in Mexico disappeared after Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly were penalised for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags. The decisions turned what had looked like eight points for Alpine into none, while giving Racing Bulls a 10-point swing in their contest for fifth in the constructors’ standings.

Both drivers had crossed the finish line in the top 10. Colapinto was eighth and Gasly 10th, then each moved up one place when Oscar Piastri received a 10-second post-race penalty for his clash with Arvid Lindblad at Turn 1. Alpine’s drivers were subsequently penalised for their conduct after that incident brought out yellow flags.

Two incidents, two different penalties

Colapinto received a 10-second time penalty for passing a single waved yellow flag without reducing his speed enough. Alpine and the driver submitted telemetry and photographic material to argue that he had slowed and was prepared to change direction, as required. The stewards were not satisfied that the evidence showed a sufficient speed reduction at the single flag.

He was cleared of a separate alleged infringement in a sector covered by double-waved yellow flags. In that case, the stewards cited sufficient doubt about whether Colapinto had enough warning to meet the requirements. The distinction mattered: the single-flag penalty stood, but the double-flag allegation did not. The time penalty moved him down to 15th.

Gasly’s penalty was more severe. He received a stop-and-go penalty, converted into a 30-second addition to his race time, and fell to 17th, the last classified position. Alpine and Gasly argued that he had made a significant speed reduction in the double-waved-yellow sector. After comparing his telemetry with that of other cars passing through the same sector, the stewards judged that the reduction was too small.

The difference between the outcomes reflects the separate flag incidents and their respective penalties. Gasly’s offence involved double-waved yellow flags, and the stewards also assigned him two penalty points. Colapinto’s double-flag allegation was dismissed, but his single-flag infringement still cost him the result.

Alpine accepts responsibility

Alpine argued both cases at the stewards’ hearings, but the drivers accepted responsibility afterward. Gasly apologised to the team and called the yellow-flag infringement his error. He also said he believed he could have finished much higher without other issues during his race, adding that there was a lot for him to reflect on.

Colapinto likewise apologised to the team for his mistake under the yellow flag. He said the situation was difficult to understand, but still described the error as his own. Those comments leave little room for the team to treat the lost points as a disputed outcome: both drivers acknowledged their part in it, even as Alpine had presented evidence on their behalf.

For Alpine, the practical cost is immediate. The team had appeared set to collect points with both cars, but the penalties removed the entire haul. That makes the episode a costly reminder that a strong finishing position can depend on what happens around an incident as much as on the running order at the flag. Drivers must respond promptly to changing track conditions, and a small speed reduction may not meet the stewards’ standard when other cars’ data offers a comparison.

Rivals gain from the revised order

Liam Lawson, who started from the pit lane, moves into seventh after the penalties. The revised result gives him two additional points. Racing Bulls is now 39 points ahead of Alpine in the battle for fifth, a 10-point improvement in its position relative to Alpine from the post-race changes.

Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar also enter the points, finishing eighth and ninth in the revised classification. Ryo Hirakawa takes 10th and scores a point on his surprise debut for Haas. Each position change followed from the penalties applied to Alpine’s drivers, extending the consequences beyond the two cars involved.

The Mexico result now leaves Alpine with both a missed points opportunity and a substantial gap to close against Racing Bulls. The drivers’ apologies settle the immediate question of responsibility from their perspective; the next measure will be whether the team can turn its pace into a clean result at the next round. In a tight standings fight, avoiding another costly flag infringement could matter as much as gaining a place on track.