The Argentine driver salvaged a ninth-place finish for Alpine at the Italian Grand Prix after a heavy spin wrecked his podium ambitions.
He started seventh at Monza before jumping into the top three following a red-flag restart. Colapinto dispatched Max Verstappen through the first chicane to briefly hold third place before losing position on the run to the Variante della Roggia.
Moments later, the young racer lost control of his chassis through the Lesmo corner and slid into the gravel. The error dropped him eleven places to sixteenth, forcing a difficult recovery drive to secure two championship points.
Alpine Unlock Serious Track Pace
The costly spin overshadowed a weekend of immense progress for the Enstone outfit. Buoyed by recent chassis upgrades and a switch to Mercedes power, teammate Pierre Gasly secured a sensational starting advantage on Saturday before finishing seventh.
Colapinto recently confirmed his future with the squad on a multi-year deal. He was visibly upset after throwing away the chance to fight at the front.
“It was very frustrating, I think a very frustrating mistake. It was a great opportunity for me and for the team, for second and third. I threw away a nice chance so I’m very frustrated of course with myself,” he said.
Reflecting on the spin, he admitted he was searching for answers.
“Yeah, it was a difficult race. A few things and then a big mistake that I just lost the car completely. I don’t really understand how I lost it so aggressively,” he added.
Alpine will now investigate their sudden surge in performance data ahead of the next round in Madrid.
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