FIA confirms driver set for double Bahrain Grand Prix punishment

SEPANG – Franco Colapinto faces a double grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, after the FIA revealed that his Alpine F1 car had been fitted with a new internal combustion engine.

As this is his fifth ICE of the season, exceeding his allocation of four, he will take a 10-place grid drop on top of his five-place penalty for causing a collision in Baku.

Franco Colapinto faces 15-place grid penalty at Malaysian Grand Prix

Colapinto arrived in Malaysia for the 16th round of the 2026 F1 season with a five-place grid penalty hanging over his head.

The Argentine was given the penalty after causing a multi-car collision at the previous race in Azerbaijan that forced Colapinto, Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris to retire from the race.

The FIA stewards handed Colapinto the standard 10-second penalty for causing a collision, but as he had already retired from the race, it was converted into a five-place grid penalty for the next race.

“The stewards considered that COL was wholly or predominantly to blame for the collision,” read the stewards’ verdict.

“Although the incident occurred at the first corner following the restart, there was no contribution from another driver which would justify applying the first-lap/first corner more lenient approach.”

And the Alpine driver is now facing a further grid penalty.

FIA technical director Jo Bauer’s notes on Friday at Sepang revealed that Colapinto’s Alpine A526 had been fitted with a new ICE for the Sepang weekend, his fifth of the season.

As that is outside his allocation for the season, he will be hit with a 10-place grid penalty.

Bauer’s notes read: “The internal combustion engine used by Franco Colapinto is the fifth (5th) of the four (4) new internal combustion engines allowed for the 2026 Championship season and this is not in compliance with B8.2.2 a) of the 2026 Formula One Sporting Regulations.”

The FIA has confirmed his penalty, announcing a “drop of 10 grid positions”.

Colapinto will therefore drop 15 places in total.

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Speaking to PlanetF1.com and other accredited media in the build-up to the Bahrain Grand Prix, Colapinto downplayed speculation that team principal Flavio Briatore could bench him for the Bahrain race.

Although he acknowledged Briatore’s expected anger, the 23-year-old says there was never a genuine concern that he wouldn’t be allowed to race.

“Not really,” he said.

“Actually, I went straight after the race to the sim. I was in the factory straight away, getting race [ready for] here in Malaysia.

“Those things never change, and our prep for the future for never really changes.

“Of course, Flavio was angry, and as everyone in the team was angry, and it’s not a nice situation to be in, and even worse to be the one creating that situation. It’s the last thing that you want.

“We were doing a very good job as teammates all that weekend with Pierre, and it’s very sad to finish it like that for a mistake.

“It’s something very unintentional that I hope everyone understands. It’s just a lock-up. When you touch the brake and you lock up, you are out of control.

“And it’s extremely unfortunate that I took Pierre, who is my teammate, and of course Lando as well, and very sorry for that. But mainly Pierre, the great situation we were in and of course makes everyone upset.

“Cannot change it now, would love to be able to change it, but I’m very sorry, that’s the reality.

“I was very sorry straight after it happened, and that it’s not again a nice situation to be in, but we fixed it internally and they’ve been supportive and willing to look forward very quickly.”

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