The Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto has been at the center of controversy after receiving two penalties during the Dutch Grand Prix of Formula 1. The stewards’ decisions have sparked a strong reaction from both the driver and an executive from Mercado Libre, his main sponsoring company.
Colapinto was penalized for intervening under yellow flags after the signal was activated due to an accident involving Max Verstappen. At the time of the incident, the Alpine driver was attempting to overtake Yuki Tsunoda, which led him to receive a pit-lane penalty that hampered his scoring chances.
After the race, Colapinto expressed his frustration with the stewards, stating: ‘The pit-lane penalty compromised my entire race. I had a good start and was in points positions, but the situation was complicated. The yellow flag came too late, and braking under those circumstances would have been very dangerous. This is difficult to judge in these conditions.’
Additionally, the driver added that the rigidity of the rules should be adjusted to ensure a more appropriate assessment of dangerous situations.
Criticism from Mercado Libre
Colapinto’s dissatisfaction was not an isolated case. Sean Summers, marketing director of Mercado Libre, also voiced his displeasure through a social media post, questioning the impartiality of the FIA stewards and criticizing their ability to manage race conditions. ‘They are killing the integrity of F1,’ he wrote.
The relationship between Mercado Libre and Colapinto began at the 2024 Italian Grand Prix when the driver competed with Williams and has continued to fund his current phase with Alpine.
Finally, after a complicated race, Colapinto finished in 14th position, driving an older version of the Alpine car, as the team opted to equip his teammate Pierre Gasly with the latest evolution of the A526 model.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_243ad09ea2bdbc7678852f746d093614731cfd67