Franco Colapinto, the 23‑year‑old Alpine rookie, received a drive‑through penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix for passing Yuki Tsunoda under yellow‑flag conditions at the start, ending his points bid.
The incident unfolded as Max Verstappen spun just ahead of the first lap, triggering yellow flags before the race was halted by a red. While Tsunoda slowed to avoid the crash, Colapinto overtook him, touching the yellow‑flag boundary and prompting stewards to impose the penalty. A similar move by Arvid Lindblad on Pierre Gasly earned the same sanction.
“The drive‑through ruined the whole race,” Colapinto told Motorsport.com. He said the wet, damp track and heavy braking zones made it difficult to react safely, adding that the rulebook should allow greater flexibility in such hazardous conditions. He accused the FIA of being excessively harsh, especially over the impact of a drive‑through on a driver’s chances.
Colapinto’s season continued to stumble when a second yellow‑flag infringement at the same circuit attracted a 10‑second penalty and three points to his licence, bringing his total to four. The Alpine driver finished 14th in the older A526 configuration, after the team updated Gasly’s car with the latest upgrades.
Market‑Milagre’s critique of FIA stewards
Shortly after the race, Mercado Libre’s Chief Marketing Officer, Sean Summers, criticized the stewards on X, tagging the FIA account. “The Stewards are killing the integrity of F1. This season they are proving to be horrible and impacting race results. Incompetence? Dishonesty? Both? Something is seriously broken in that organisation’s culture,” he posted.
Mercado Libre began supporting Colapinto while he raced for Williams and remains one of his main sponsors at Alpine. The executive’s outburst reflected growing frustration among teams and sponsors over the consistency of FIA rulings.
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