F1 News: Franco Colapinto Hit With Post-Race Penalty After Bold Mexican GP Move

Argentine driver Franco Colapinto received a 10-second penalty and two penalty points for a contentious overtaking move that led to a collision during the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.

Williams Racing driver Franco Colapinto walks the paddock at the Formula 1 Pirelli United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Argentine driver Franco Colapinto, representing Williams Racing, has been handed a post-race penalty following a contentious move during the Mexican Grand Prix. The incident, which took place at the exit of Turn 2 during a heated battle with VCARB driver Liam Lawson, led to a collision that caught the attention of the race stewards. After a detailed review, Colapinto was deemed to be predominantly at fault, resulting in a 10-second time penalty and the addition of two penalty points to his driving licence.

The 21-year-old kicked off his motorsport journey in karting at the tender age of nine, quickly making a name for himself with a gold medal performance at the 2018 Youth Summer Olympics. Progressing through the junior formula circuits, Colapinto clinched the F4 Spanish Championship in 2019, and continued to shine in other competitions such as the Toyota Racing Series and the FIA Formula 3 Championship. His rapid rise saw him join the Williams Racing Driver Academy in 2023, later stepping up to Formula 2 with MP Motorsport. His exceptional performances earned him a spot in the Formula 1 lineup, replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams beginning with the Italian Grand Prix.

Colapinto's attempt to overtake Lawson on the outside at Turn 1 during the Mexican Grand Prix resulted in damage to Lawson's VCARB 01. The move was deemed overly ambitious as Colapinto was not fully alongside Lawson at the apex or exit, resulting in insufficient room for both cars to maneuver. This led to Colapinto veering off track, compromising both cars' lines as they approached Turn 2. Although Lawson provided enough space at the Turn 2 apex, Colapinto's wide exit resulted in contact with Lawson's car, specifically the front wing.

The official statement from the Stewards reads:

"No / Driver: 43 - Franco Colapinto
Competitor: Williams Racing
Fact: Car 43 collided with Car 30 at the exit of Turn 2.
Infringement: Breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 (d) of the FIA International Sporting Code.
Decision: 10 second time penalty
(10 seconds added to elapsed Race time).
2 penalty points (total of 2 for the 12 month period).

"The Stewards reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, CCTV, and In-Car video.

"Colapinto was attempting to overtake on the outside of Lawson at Turn 1. He was not quite fully alongside at the apex and through the exit and was thus not “entitled” to racing room at the exit. Lawson defended aggressively through to the exit of turn 1, but stayed on the track and left just enough room for Colapinto to remain on track from the exit of Turn 1, through to Turn 2, although ultimately Colapinto did leave the track.

"Both cars were on a compromised line approaching Turn 2, Colapinto more so. Lawson gave Colapinto room at the apex of Turn 2. Colapinto stayed on power which ultimately forced him wide at the exit of turn 2 and caused him to collide with Lawson’s front wing.

"While the Stewards consider most of this sequence to be fair racing, the fact that Colapinto forced the issue when he was not able to complete the pass through either corner meant that he was predominantly at fault for the collision."

New document: Doc 50 - Infringement - Car 43 - Causing a collision
Published on 27-10-2024 23:54 CEThttps://t.co/iWwYutiKQB#F1 #Formula1 #FIA #MexicoGP 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/kkUINc0McF

— FIA F1 Documents Bot (@fiadocsbot) October 27, 2024