Franco Colapinto's Alpine debut stumbles with crash in Emilia Romagna GP qualifying
Franco Colapinto's Debut Qualifying Ends in Crash at Emilia-Romagna GP
Franco Colapinto's first qualifying session as an Alpine driver ended prematurely after a crash at the Tamburello Chicane during Q1 in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. The Argentine rookie was unable to complete his debut session after losing control of his car, resulting in a collision with the barriers that red-flagged the session.
A post-incident statement from Alpine provided reassurance about Colapinto's condition:
"Following the incident at the end of Q1, Franco was taken to the medical center for precautionary checks as per the procedure. He is OK, has been checked and cleared to leave."
Colapinto, 21, was recently recruited by Alpine to replace Jack Doohan, who was demoted to reserve driver after just seven starts with the team. The young driver arrived at Alpine with limited experience, having competed in only nine races for Williams last season. According to Alpine, Colapinto has been given a five-race trial to prove himself in the seat.
The Crash at Tamburello Chicane
The crash occurred as Colapinto attempted to improve his lap time in the session. He ran wide in the final section of the Tamburello Chicane, which caused the rear of his car to snap out of control. The car skidded through the gravel before colliding with the barriers, bringing an immediate halt to his qualifying attempt.
Despite the setback, Colapinto had set the 14th-fastest lap before the crash, allowing him to advance to Q2 even though he could not participate further due to damage to the car. However, his grid position suffered an additional blow when stewards investigated an earlier incident involving the timing of his release into the pit lane after a prior red flag. As a result, Colapinto was handed a penalty that dropped him to 16th place on the starting grid for Sunday’s race.
Earlier Incident: Yuki Tsunoda's Crash
The earlier session stoppage was caused by a significant crash from Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda, who lost control of his car at the Villeneuve Chicane, leading to a heavy impact with the barriers.
Pressure Mounts for Colapinto
Colapinto's debut weekend has certainly presented challenges, but attention will now shift to his performance during the race. With five events to prove his worth in the Alpine seat, the Argentine will look to rebound and deliver under mounting pressure.
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