In an unprecedented and alarming development during the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend, Franco Colapinto has been forced into starting from the pit-lane following a disappointing performance in the Sprint qualifying session. The Argentine driver only managed to finish P19 on the grid, which led to Alpine making the very important decision to change the rear wing of the car.
Alpine confirmed through their social media accounts that they took this extreme measure to give Colapinto the best chance in the Sprint race today at Spa. The situation isn’t surprising considering recent performances from Colapinto. He took over mid-season for Jack Doohan, but through a few races he has managed to earn very little – and not a single point to date – with the challenge of matching the pace of teammate Pierre Gasly.
Gasly is starting from P8 on the grid and has a project to pretty much compete for points. Colapinto, meanwhile, will seem to treat today’s Sprint as a test ahead of qualifying this afternoon, showing how steep the challenge is facing the young driver trying to establish himself in Formula One. The rationale for the sanction from the team, considering it breaks the parc fermé rules, is clear – to get car #43 up-to-speed and to salvage the best day they can from a tough weekend.
