The Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort delivered a bittersweet moment for Argentine motorsport. Franco Colapinto produced one of the best starts of the year, climbing from 14th to the top 10 in the opening corners, but a controversial yellow-flag penalty destroyed any chance of scoring points. The Alpine driver finished 14th and now leads the F1 penalty points table alongside two other drivers.
A Penalty That Sparked Outrage
It all happened on the first lap when Max Verstappen crashed at the final corner, still damp, prompting yellow flags. Colapinto, who was accelerating hard, overtook Yuki Tsunoda while avoiding the accident and a loose wheel. FIA stewards deemed he did not respect the yellow flag and handed him a drive-through plus two penalty points on his superlicence. A subsequent 10-second penalty for a similar infringement at Turn 3 added one more point, totaling 4 points on his licence.
Colapinto was blunt: “It's quite unfair. Very harsh, it's extremely harsh. It compromised my whole race.” He explained that slamming the brakes would have created a bigger danger for cars behind: “It was much more dangerous to brake hard.”
What Are F1 Penalty Points?
Introduced in 2014, they work like a driver's licence points system: if a driver accumulates 12 points within a 12-month period, they face a one-race ban. Infractions range from collisions to ignoring flags. Only one driver has ever reached that limit: Kevin Magnussen in 2024.
Briatore: 'Severe and Harsh, but We Must Learn'
Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore commented on the penalty without hesitation: “Franco's race was practically over from the start after a severe and harsh drive-through penalty.” Yet the Italian chose a constructive tone: “Even though we know it's disappointing for him, we understand these rules exist for safety reasons, and it's something we must learn from.”
The team also posted on Instagram: “A frustrating afternoon for Franco Colapinto”, with an optimistic vibe: “We'll keep working, on to the next one.”
Lindblad, Also Penalized, Questions the Call
Colapinto wasn't alone. Arvid Lindblad from Racing Bulls received the same penalty (drive-through and 2 points) for a nearly identical move, passing Pierre Gasly under yellow flags. The British driver was critical: “I think we can all agree it was quite extreme.” He added: “I felt today they were more about setting a precedent than actually judging the infringement.” Lindblad, who had scored points in six consecutive races, said without the penalty he would have finished eighth.
Colapinto, Unwanted Leader of the Penalty Table
With the 4 points accumulated, the Argentine tops the active penalty points standings, sharing first place with Kimi Antonelli and Oliver Bearman. The catch: Colapinto's points expire on 14 June 2027, so he must be careful for the entire next season. The current table looks like this:
| Driver | Team | Points | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 4 | 14/06/2027 |
| Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 4 | 31/08/2026 |
| Oliver Bearman | Haas | 4 | 07/09/2026 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 3 | 31/08/2026 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 3 | 09/11/2026 |
Alpine's Silver Lining: Upgrades Work, But More Needed
On the positive side, Pierre Gasly rescued two points (eighth in the Sprint and tenth in the race) thanks to the new aerodynamic upgrade package that only he had. Colapinto hasn't received it yet but will debut it at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on 6 September. Briatore highlighted the impact of the updates and warned about Audi's performance, calling it “exceptionally fast.”
The team sits sixth in the constructors' championship with 63 points, just 3 behind Racing Bulls (66).
Colapinto, Optimistic Despite Everything
On his Instagram, the 22-year-old wrote: “I gave it everything on a weekend that was always going to be tough. Good qualifying, squeezing water from stones, and today a first lap full of balls!!! The penalty ruined all the good stuff we were doing and we added three little points” (referring to penalty points). He ended with his usual energy: “We keep pushing, vamoooooo.”
Colapinto's future with Alpine for 2027 seems increasingly likely, though the team hasn't officially announced it yet. Meanwhile, the Argentine must manage his superlicence carefully to avoid a future ban.