Overview

• Franco Colapinto finished 19th in Baku after contact from Alex Albon, who received a 10‑second penalty for the collision.
• His difficult weekend also featured an FP3 incident where an apple struck his car and a qualifying crash that led to chassis and gearbox changes.
• Alpine publicly acknowledged its current package’s limits and said it is focusing resources on a 2026 rebuild, with plans reported to switch to Mercedes power.
• Flavio Briatore said the 2026 second seat will go to either Colapinto or reserve Paul Aron, with a decision expected between the Mexico and Brazil Grands Prix, while Pierre Gasly is already confirmed.
• Colapinto’s next outing is the Singapore Grand Prix on 3–5 October, and the team characterized his on‑track fight with Gasly in Baku as a close duel after recent qualifying gains over his teammate.