Franco Colapinto will start the Malaysian Grand Prix from the eighth position after stewards handed him a five‑place grid drop for the collision that erupted at the Baku restart.
Chaos at Baku’s first corner
When the safety car pulled in after Alexander Albon’s mid‑race crash, Colapinto braked late inside Turn 1, over‑steer onto Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and triggered a chain reaction that sent Lando Norris’s McLaren into a retirement.
Steward review and official penalty
FIA officials analysed video, timing data and in‑car footage before concluding that “Colapinto was wholly or predominantly to blame.” Because the Alpine driver could not serve a 10‑second time penalty after retiring, the stewards converted it into a five‑place grid drop for Sepang under Article B1.9.6.(e) of the 2026 regulations.
No further action for Lindblad’s spin
Arvid Lindblad’s brief contact with teammate Liam Lawson occurred in the same corner, but the stewards noted that the earlier chain reaction left Lindblad “between cars on either side.” They judged the lock‑up a typical first‑corner incident, with no driver entirely at fault, and therefore imposed no penalty.
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