Alpine break silence on Colapinto’s 'harsh' Dutch GP penalty

Colapinto received a drive-through penalty after overtaking Yuki Tsunoda under yellow flags at Turn 14 on the opening lap of the Dutch Grand Prix. The Alpine driver was also handed two penalty points on his licence, taking his total to three over the past 12 months,

In a statement, Alpine acknowledged that the penalties handed out were 'harsh', but accepted that they were consistent with the regulations and applied equally across the field. The team also reiterated its full confidence in the FIA and the stewards when it comes to enforcing the rules, stressing that the incidents at Zandvoort will provide an opportunity to review what happened and learn from it.

A short while ago, the FIA issued a statement addressing the online abuse directed at stewards following the Dutch Grand Prix. The governing body made clear that criticism and disagreement over sporting decisions are part of Formula 1, but stressed that this should never escalate into harassment, threats or personal attacks.

The statement came after several decisions at Zandvoort generated controversy, including the penalty handed to Colapinto. The incident also sparked a strong reaction from Sean Summers, chief marketing officer of Mercado Libre, one of the Argentine’s main sponsors, who took to X to heavily criticise the standard of stewarding and question the way the FIA has handled decisions throughout the season.

The governing body also pointed to its ongoing work against online harassment through the United Against Online Abuse coalition, an initiative launched in 2023 after an FIA steward became the target of abuse following the United States Grand Prix. The FIA ultimately called on everyone engaging with the sport to do so responsibly and respectfully, both online and offline.