BWT Alpine Formula One Team left the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with nothing after both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto retired following an incident between the two cars. Colapinto has taken full responsibility, saying he locked up on cold tyres and brakes after a safety car restart. Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore called the move “very poor” and says he will consider what action to take.
A double retirement is a costly outcome anywhere on the calendar, but it stings more when both cars are running inside the points. That is what happened to BWT Alpine Formula One Team in Baku, where Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto were both classified as DNFs after coming together on track.
How the race unfolded
Gasly started seventh on new medium tyres and Colapinto ninth, also on new mediums. Both drivers pitted on lap 30 for new soft tyres. Gasly set the quicker of the two laps at 1min 47.822secs, with Colapinto on 1min 48.484secs.
According to the team, the pace was there before the incident. Gasly said he was running close to Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris while comfortably holding the gap to the rest of the midfield.
“In terms of our race up until that point, the car felt good, we had strong pace, and I was close to Lewis [Hamilton] and Lando [Norris] throughout while managing the gap quite easily to the rest of the midfield,” Gasly said.
The Frenchman added that Colapinto had apologised to him directly after the race, and that he accepted the apology.
Colapinto takes the blame
Colapinto was unambiguous about his part in it, describing the moment as a braking error on cold tyres and cold brakes.
“It was a big mistake on my side and it should not happen. I locked up with cold tyres, cold brakes, and was out of control,” the Argentine said.
He also apologised to the team, to the factory staff, to Gasly, and to Norris, who was caught up in the aftermath.
Briatore weighs a response
The sharpest words came from Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore, who pointed to the championship points lost with both cars in scoring positions.
“I know that Franco has taken full responsibility for it, as he should; in fact he braked far too late considering the context of the race and the safety car restart. It was a very poor move for a driver of his experience,” Briatore said.
Briatore added that he wants time to reflect before deciding what course of action to take, so the team can learn from the incident. He also apologised to Norris and McLaren for what he described as ruining their race.
What it means
For a team fighting in the midfield, where single points swing constructors’ positions, walking away from a race with two retirements and no score is a real setback — particularly on a weekend where the car appeared competitive. Alpine says it operates out of its Enstone base in Oxfordshire with a workforce of 1,000, running the A526 in what the team calls a highly competitive 24-race season.
The question hanging over the team now is what Briatore decides, given he has publicly left the door open on consequences for Colapinto.
Facts: Alpine in Baku
- Pierre Gasly: started P7 on new mediums, DNF
- Franco Colapinto: started P9 on new mediums, DNF
- Both cars: pit stop on lap 30 for new softs
- Gasly fastest lap: 1min 47.822secs
- Colapinto fastest lap: 1min 48.484secs
- Car: Alpine A526
The team heads to Sepang next weekend, where Gasly says the target is to carry the Baku pace forward.
Source: media.alpinecars.com