Franco Colapinto is under scrutiny after his Azerbaijan Grand Prix incident that took out teammate Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris. Alpine team boss Flavio Briatore has now stated he will "consider what course of action should be taken," hinting at possible internal repercussions for the young Argentine. This comes on top of Colapinto's five-place grid penalty for the next race.
Gary Anderson, former F1 designer and engineer, shares his perspective. He believes the golden rule in racing is never to wipe out your teammate. Teams need their own discipline, and drivers must buy into it. Every team is bigger than any driver, and respect is key. But racing is racing; every driver wants to beat the other 21 cars, and that's why they're on the grid.
This season we've seen close battles between teammates, especially in front-running teams. Examples include George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, and even Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar in Baku. The grid composition and power units make it inevitable that such incidents happen.
In Baku, many drivers made mistakes like lock-ups that sent them off track. Colapinto locked up at the wrong time, and when you lock a wheel, you become a passenger. According to Anderson, it's unfair to blame Colapinto for trying to make up places; that's just how a racing driver's brain works. The same goes for the Racing Bulls incident between Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson, which was a simple mistake.
Norris, an innocent victim, called for a race ban for Colapinto, but Anderson thinks that's out of place. Norris has had his own close shaves, so he should know better. Anderson's experience running Jordan also shows that teammate clashes happen, like the one between Ralf Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella in Argentina 1997 that cost the team dearly.
Ultimately, Anderson stresses that these incidents should be handled by the team, not the FIA. Teams need to take internal action to maintain discipline and harmony. The FIA has already given a grid penalty, and that's enough. Alpine must manage this situation wisely to avoid affecting overall team performance.
Read Also
Arvid Lindblad minta maaf kepada Liam Lawson setelah tabrakan di Baku yang merusak peluang Racing Bulls finis ganda di zona poin.
George Russell dan Max Verstappen menolak larangan balap untuk Franco Colapinto setelah insiden di GP Azerbaijan. Simak analisis dan komentar pembalap.
Alpine pertimbangkan bench Franco Colapinto usai insiden di Azerbaijan. Briatore murka, siapa penggantinya? Simak analisis lengkapnya.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!