Pierre Gasly says he felt “crushed” after Alpine teammate Franco Colapinto collided with him at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix restart. The Pierre Gasly Franco Colapinto crash also ended Lando Norris’s race in Baku. Colapinto locked up into Turn 1 and hit the back of Gasly’s car. That sent him into the McLaren driver. All three retired on the spot.
Pierre Gasly ‘Crushed’ by Teammate Collision at Azerbaijan GP Restart
Gasly had been running a strong seventh when the incident wiped out his race in an instant. He didn’t hide his frustration afterwards. Losing a big points haul through no fault of his own stung badly.
“I cannot believe it, so many points gone…” Gasly said, in comments reported by Motorsport.com post-race report. It was a blunt summary of how fast his afternoon fell apart.
Gasly Details Restart Incident and Disappointment in Official Comments
Gasly walked through how the gaps had shifted before the restart went wrong. He had been holding a three-second margin behind Norris, while a much wider cushion had opened up to Colapinto further back in the pack.
“So, keeping up the three-second gap with him until [Norris] locked up in Turn 1, then we had a 15-second margin with Franco behind. I mean, it’s still difficult to process what just happened,” Gasly explained, again via Motorsport.com.
That fifteen-second cushion should have kept him safe. Colapinto’s lock-up erased it in a flash. Seventh place became a triple retirement.
Alpine A526 Pace Lost as Constructors’ Standings Take 13-Point Hit
The restart followed a safety car period triggered by Alexander Albon’s crash. Gasly ran seventh when racing resumed, with Colapinto tenth. Both were well placed to add to Alpine’s points tally. Gasly had rated the A526 as the best race car Alpine had given him all season, which made the outcome sting even more.
The championship damage from the Pierre Gasly Franco Colapinto crash went beyond Alpine’s own retirements. Arvid Lindblad was cleared of wrongdoing after colliding with his Racing Bulls teammate. He went on to finish seventh, a result that handed Racing Bulls points Alpine had been chasing themselves. Between the double retirement and Lindblad’s clearance, the swing against Alpine in the constructors’ standings came to 13 points.
Alpine Look to Rebuild Following Double Retirement in Baku
A 13-point swing in one race is hard for any midfield team to absorb. Gasly’s frustration says a lot. It’s rare for Alpine to have a car capable of scoring points in the top ten, only to lose them to a crash between their own cars.
Gasly heads into the next round still chasing consistency. There have been high points too, including his impressive qualifying form in Monza. Off track, he’s also been outspoken lately, standing up against targeted harassment aimed at drivers on social media. Alpine need him and Colapinto working together, not against each other, if they’re going to close the gap in the championship.
