- Alpine lost its double points finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix after Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto received post-race penalties for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags.
- McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was demoted from seventh to fifteenth after receiving a ten-second penalty for causing a collision with Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad, costing the Australian six championship points.
- The revised classification promoted Liam Lawson to seventh and Gabriel Bortoleto to eighth, while Haas debutant Ryo Hirakawa secured his maiden Formula 1 point in tenth.
Alpine has been stripped of a double points finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix, with Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto receiving post-race penalties for separate yellow flag infringements, adding to a chaotic afternoon for the FIA stewards.
Having initially finished eighth and tenth respectively, the Alpine duo were summoned following Sunday’s 71-lap encounter at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, with both drivers found to have failed to sufficiently reduce their speed under yellow flags.
Colapinto was handed a ten-second time penalty for an infringement under single yellow flags, while Gasly received the more severe punishment of a stop-and-go penalty for failing to slow adequately through a double yellow flag sector.
A bitter pill to swallow for the Enstone outfit, which had appeared poised to celebrate a valuable double points finish following a competitive showing from both drivers.
Colapinto had enjoyed a particularly impressive opening stint, climbing from eleventh to seventh before ultimately crossing the line eighth.
However, the stewards determined that the Argentine had not demonstrated the necessary reduction in speed, despite Alpine presenting telemetry and photographic evidence in his defence.
The decision also saw Colapinto receive one penalty point on his Super Licence.
Gasly meanwhile was handed two penalty points, with the stewards concluding that his reduction in speed was insufficient when compared against other drivers navigating the same double yellow flag sector.
Despite Alpine arguing that the Frenchman had slowed considerably, the telemetry ultimately proved decisive.
Piastri amongst those penalised
The Alpine sanctions were amongst several contentious decisions made following the chequered flag, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri also losing a points finish after being deemed responsible for a collision with Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad.
Having recovered from a disappointing qualifying session which left him twelfth on the grid, the Australian had fought his way into the points before becoming embroiled in a late-race battle with Lindblad.
Attempting to overtake around the outside of Turn 1, Piastri made contact with the Racing Bulls driver, sending the latter into the barriers and triggering a Safety Car.
The stewards subsequently determined that Piastri had not established sufficient overlap to claim the corner, handing him a ten-second penalty.
The sanction demoted the Melbourne-born driver from seventh to fifteenth, denying him six valuable championship points.
It compounded an already frustrating weekend for McLaren, with Piastri having struggled to extract performance from the MCL40 throughout qualifying and the race.
Lawson and Hirakawa amongst beneficiaries
The revised classification provided a welcome boost for several drivers, with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson promoted to seventh and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto elevated to eighth.
Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar inherited ninth, while Haas debutant Ryo Hirakawa secured the final championship point in tenth.
A remarkable outcome for the Japanese driver, who had entered the weekend as a replacement for Esteban Ocon and emerged with a point on his maiden Formula 1 appearance.
For Alpine meanwhile, the loss of both points finishes represents a particularly frustrating conclusion to an otherwise encouraging weekend.
And while the circumstances surrounding the penalties differed, the decisions serve as another reminder of the increasingly fine margins governing modern Formula 1.
With yellow flag infringements carrying significant safety implications, the stewards were unequivocal in their assessment, regardless of the consequences for the final classification.
What initially appeared a productive afternoon for Alpine ultimately unravelled in the stewards’ room, while Piastri too was left to rue another costly incident.
A dramatic reshuffling of the order long after the chequered flag had fallen.
