Franco Colapinto: Alpine chief Flavio Briatore to determine ‘plan of action’ after driver’s ‘very poor’ Azerbaijan GP crash | F1 Information

Alpine chief Flavio Briatore says he’ll take time to “mirror on what plan of action must be taken” after Franco Colapinto’s “very poor” error precipitated a three-car collision within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Trying to make a daring transfer from tenth place down the within into Flip One on the first Security Automotive restart, Colapinto locked his brakes and hit the aspect of team-mate Pierre Gasly, who was despatched straight into Lando Norris’ McLaren on his outdoors. All three drivers retired.

Gasly had been working a robust seventh on the time and the incident value Alpine what stood as seven factors total.

With each Alpines and Norris having dropped out forward of him, Arvid Lindblad as an alternative got here via late within the race to complete seventh and stretch Racing Bulls’ lead over Alpine within the combat for fifth place within the Constructors’ Championship to fifteen factors with a scheduled eight rounds left.

Talking in Alpine’s official press launch after the race, govt advisor Briatore made clear his frustration at Colapinto’s driving, for which the Argentine unreservedly apologised, and mentioned they might work out what to do to make sure classes had been learnt to keep away from a repeat in future.

“Clearly I am extraordinarily upset with the end result of as we speak’s race, figuring out we misplaced priceless factors within the Championship combat,” mentioned Briatore.

“These types of incidents should not occur, notably after we had been working nicely with each vehicles in point-scoring positions.

“I really feel very sorry for the group and for Pierre who did an important job all weekend and my apologies additionally go to Lando [Norris] and McLaren for ruining their race.

“I do know that Franco has taken full accountability for it, as he ought to; in reality he braked far too late contemplating the context of the race and the security automobile restart. It was a really poor transfer for a driver of his expertise.

“I wish to take time to mirror on it and contemplate what plan of action must be taken, so we will study from it and keep away from such a state of affairs in future.”

Colapinto will take a five-place grid penalty at this coming week’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia in lieu of the 10-second time penalty he was unable to serve within the race as he had retired.

Talking within the fast aftermath of the incident, a pissed off Norris mentioned that drivers who trigger incidents like Colapinto did must be banned for one race.

Andrea Stella, Norris’ McLaren group boss, mentioned they trusted the stewards to make the correct choices, including that drivers also needs to be anticipated to race with “a sure diploma of simply frequent sense”.

“It is a complicated matter,” mentioned Stella earlier than Colapinto’s transformed grid drop was formally confirmed.

“I assume that is being reviewed by the stewards as we communicate, just about. I am positive will probably be reviewed by Flavio as nicely. I am undecided which one goes to be harsher for whoever precipitated the issue.

“I feel, independently of the dissuasion that you could have due to the penalty, I feel while you drive in Components 1 and you might be approaching Flip 1 in Baku and you’ve got seen so many movies of the previous, you simply must be capitalising on this expertise that you have to be having as a Components 1 driver.

“The consequence on this case, which I am positive, is a disgrace for Alpine for each drivers, and there is a penalty for different drivers.

“Positively the penalty ought to consider that there are some circuits wherein you must use further prudency, and there is a full historical past of issues that occurred like this, particularly in a avenue circuit the place there is not any means to make use of the runoff space to by some means mitigate the implications of anyone working onto you.

“We belief the stewards, their strategy, however above all, we must always belief the drivers that they apply a sure diploma of simply frequent sense I’d say whereas driving.”

‘That is too harsh’ – Russell, Verstappen, Hadjar disagree with race ban suggestion

Saturday’s top-three finishers in Baku had been requested within the post-race press convention about Norris’ feedback however all agreed that banning a driver for a race for such an incident can be a step too far.

Baku race winner George Russell mentioned: “I feel that is too harsh, personally.

“I feel Security Automotive restarts, chilly tyres, a really small mistake can have massive penalties.

“And from what I noticed as we speak, that is what it seemed like. It was a small error that had an enormous consequence. I feel, personally, race bans ought to come from drivers deliberately doing one thing very harmful and really reckless. So I feel it was unlucky.”

Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen, who completed an in depth second within the race, added: “I feel so long as, in fact, the motive force that precipitated it’s conscious of what he did, proper, and apologised.

“And, I imply, yeah, that occurs. I imply, like, a small mistake or misjudgement, you lock up, it is on the within, low grip, and, in fact, then I assume a bit unlucky that it includes so many vehicles.

“However, yeah, unlucky, occurs, and it is not good, I feel. Not good for anybody concerned, proper? However like George mentioned, I feel, yeah, a race ban in all probability is a bit a lot.”

Third-place finisher Isack Hadjar agreed with Russell and Verstappen, particularly as he felt there have been mitigating circumstances within the incident.

“I feel the monitor will not be ok,” mentioned the Pink Bull driver.

“You progress out of the racing line, it begins to be very bumpy. It is exhausting to generate temperature behind the Security Automotive, it is going fairly slowly.

“So then, yeah, you simply overdo it after which it has massive, massive penalties. So, I feel, yeah, a race ban is means too harsh.”

Components 1 heads to Malaysia for the primary time since 2017 because it hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix on the Sepang Worldwide Circuit – watch stay protection from Friday morning, stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime