Franco Colapinto demoted to 10th after 10-second Barcelona penalty

Alpine driver Franco Colapinto has been demoted from eighth to 10th place in the final classification of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix after receiving a post-race time penalty for a yellow flag infringement. The stewards imposed a 10-second penalty and issued one penalty point on his super licence.

The penalty was applied after stewards determined Colapinto failed to sufficiently slow his car under a single yellow flag displayed during the recovery of Fernando Alonso's Aston Martin. The incident occurred on lap 40 when Alonso stopped at Turn 9 or Turn 10 with a suspected battery issue. In their verdict, the stewards stated that while Colapinto "slightly reduced speed before entering the single yellow flag zone, he did not discernibly reduce speed in the relevant yellow flag sector." They acknowledged the driver reacted to the flag but concluded the reaction was insufficient to comply with regulations, warranting a penalty on the lower end of the applicable scale.

As a result of the penalty, both Racing Bulls drivers gain a position. Liam Lawson moves up to eighth place and Arvid Lindblad to ninth. Colapinto leaves the seventh round of the championship with a single point,...