Franco Colapinto slammed for one ‘stupid mistake’ that ruined his ‘strong’ Barcelona Grand Prix

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Franco Colapinto of Alpine has received some heavy criticism after blowing his chance to get a stronger result in the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix with a “stupid” penalty.

The 23-year-old had initially crossed the finish line in P8 on Sunday, but he was then hit with a 10-second penalty after the race that dropped him down to P10. The Argentine also drew a penalty point on his superlicence, which puts him on two for his current 12-month period.

Colapinto will lose the other penalty point on his licence on June 29, having merited it after forcing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri off the road in last term’s Austrian Grand Prix. Only Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Haas’ Esteban Ocon currently have fewer penalty points with one each.

What did the Barcelona Grand Prix reveal about Formula 1 in 2026?

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Marc Surer slams Franco Colapinto for speeding under yellow flags in Barcelona

Alpine thought they had sealed a great result as a team in the 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya GP before Colapinto’s penalty, as teammate Pierre Gasly took P7. Colapinto initially hit the flag 14s behind Gasly, before he fell behind Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad due to his penalty.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Franco Colapinto from F1 stats to height

Marc Surer believes it was “stupid” of Colapinto to waste his P8 finish by drawing a penalty for a yellow flag infringement during the Barcelona-Catalunya GP. He was ruled to have not slowed sufficiently under the yellow flags used to recover Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.

“What a stupid mistake with the yellow flag! Otherwise, a strong performance,” Surer told Motorsport-Total about Colapinto’s time penalty in Barcelona. Surer also added, regarding Gasly’s efforts in Spain: “Behind his teammate in qualifying, but clearly faster in the race.”

Alonso parked his Aston Martin ARM26 up just before Turn 9 to retire from the Barcelona-Catalunya GP on Lap 40 of 66. Colapinto reacted to the yellow flags waved in the area and reduced his speed, but the stewards did not believe he had lifted off the throttle enough.

The 10s penalty Colapinto received handed Racing Bulls duo Lawson and Lindblad a bonus place, while dropping the Alpine racer to the final point-paying position last Sunday. It still marked his fourth top-10 finish across the past six rounds, to move onto 16 points in 2026.

But the penalty may weigh heavily on Colapinto, as it comes amid reports that his future at Alpine may now be at risk. Along with suggestions that Alonso re-joining Alpine in 2027 has gained traction, it is said that Alpine are monitoring George Russell’s situation at Mercedes.