Colapinto faces third grid penalty in Malaysia following engine change
The Argentine driver’s weekend begins on a tough note with a fresh sanction added to the one already imposed by the FIA for the Baku incident. Colapinto will indeed serve another grid penalty ahead of Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix. Alpine confirmed the same engine change decision previously announced by Red Bull and AlphaTauri.
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Franco finished nineteenth in Free Practice 1 and ended the second session in last place. However, more encouraging references came from his teammate, who positioned himself just behind the top teams. Alpine’s main rival in the season’s closing phase is the Faenza squad. The upcoming Sepang event is critical to erase the disappointment from Azerbaijan.
Another grid penalty confirmed for Colapinto
Following Alpine’s decision to replace the power unit in car number 43, Colapinto will incur a 10-place grid penalty in Malaysia. This adds to the existing 5-place penalty for the incident during the Safety Car restart at the last Grand Prix.
The Argentine swapped out the internal combustion engine, his fifth this season. Regulations allow only four. This breach falls under article B8.2.2.a.
“With penalties remaining from Baku and several power unit component changes here, we know Sunday will require overtaking and climbing through the field. It makes sense to put ourselves in the best possible position for the race since, even if we reach Q3, we would still be relegated to the back,” Colapinto stated.
First impressions at Sepang test day
Like most of the grid, the Alpine driver is experiencing Malaysia for the first time. His name ranked low in both free practice sessions. This was primarily due to a program focused on race preparation by his team.
“On my side of the garage, we had a clear plan that we executed well, focusing firmly on long runs with heavy fuel and optimizing race pace. We tried multiple setups and the pace seemed fairly competitive and in line with others. It was enjoyable to drive on such a new track, which remains fun even with a heavy fuel load,” he explained.
“Tire degradation will challenge everyone because of the heat and abrasive asphalt. It’s easy to overheat the tires, which should make the race interesting and open to diverse strategic choices. This could benefit us starting further back, as an extra variable can play to our advantage,” Colapinto added after FP2.
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