Alpine handed double penalty blow as Gasly and Colapinto punished

Alpine’s Mexico City Grand Prix has unravelled after the stewards hit both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto with post-race penalties for yellow-flag infringements. What looked like a valuable eight-point haul in the fight for fifth in the constructors’ championship has instead left the team with nothing from a strong afternoon.

Why it matters:

Alpine is chasing Racing Bulls in a tight late-season battle, and losing both points-scoring positions in one stroke is a costly blow. The penalties also reshape the lower end of the result, turning a frustrating race for others into unexpected reward.

The details:

• Gasly was given a time-converted stop-and-go penalty and two penalty points, dropping him from ninth to 17th and last.
• Colapinto received a 10-second time penalty and one penalty point, falling from seventh to 15th and out of the points.
• The stewards accepted neither driver had slowed enough under yellow flags, despite telemetry and team evidence.
• Ryo Hirakawa inherits 10th, scoring a point on his Haas debut, while Liam Lawson moves up to seventh.

What’s next:

Alpine’s constructors’ hopes now hinge on damage limitation. The team will need to regroup quickly, because a double penalty like this can decide a midfield fight that is already tight. For Hirakawa, the gift point is a memorable debut; for Alpine, it is a painful swing.