Franco Colapinto endured a chaotic 2026 F1 Monaco GP, with the Argentine involved in several key moments as the race unravelled late on.
After starting from the lower end of the field, Colapinto was part of the early train behind Sergio Pérez as teams tried to use strategy to make up ground. His race became more complicated when he picked up a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, joining several other drivers who were also caught out.
The final stages brought even more drama. Following a red flag and a standing restart, the field bunched up through the hairpin, with Carlos Sainz eventually making contact with Nico Hülkenberg and later hitting the wall. Replays also showed Colapinto tagging Sainz at Portier during the same chaotic sequence, adding to the late-race incidents under investigation.
Despite the penalty and the messy finish, Colapinto remained part of the race’s late drama as multiple penalties reshuffled the final order.
Colapinto rues lost ground and Williams traffic in frustrating F1 Monaco GP
Colapinto described the race at the 2026 F1 Monaco GP as chaotic and frustrating after Alpine lost ground during the pit stop phase. He explained that the team had boxed midway through the race, but the undercuts from other drivers cost them several positions. The red flag then hurt them further, wiping away the track position they had been building.
The Argentine felt Alpine had decent pace, but traffic shaped much of his afternoon. After stopping early, he quickly became stuck behind the Williams cars, which he said were running at a very slow pace as they played games to try and seal points for both cars.
That left him frustrated, as he believed the team could have achieved more if they had been able to run in clean air and maximise their strategy.
“It’s just a bit of a mess. Yeah, we boxed in the middle of the race, lost a few places with the undercuts of the others, and then the red flag, of course, we lost all the track position we were gaining with the time. Then we had to box, they didn’t box, so it was a bit of a pity.
“I think, in general, it was a tough race, quite frustrating, the Williams in front making the same thing as last year. We had a good pace, but after four laps I stopped, I was already getting backed up with the Williams going really slow, so just in general I think it was quite a frustrating race.”
Colapinto left frustrated after chaotic late-race restart in Monaco
Colapinto admitted he was unhappy with the final result, feeling Alpine had failed to make the most of the chances that came their way. The late restart only added to his frustration, as he became caught up in the chaos around Fernando Alonso, Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz.
The Argentine explained that the final laps were messy, with contact involving several cars as the race unravelled. Sainz was already slowing with a problem, while Colapinto was squeezed into another incident after the restart. It capped off a difficult afternoon in which Alpine’s pace went unrewarded, leaving him focused on bouncing back in Barcelona.
“Now, of course, I’m not happy with the result. We didn’t really maximise any opportunities, so quite frustrating today. The restart then Fernando [Alonso] pushed me into Hülkenberg from behind, and Carlos [Sainz] was slow, going to retire, and we had contact again, so it was also a bit of a chaotic last few laps.
“Yeah, I’m just not quite happy with it. With the result, we have to come back stronger in Barcelona.”
Pit lane entry catches out Colapinto in Monaco penalty
Colapinto also explained the pit lane speeding penalty, saying it came on entry rather than exit. He pointed to the pit limiter and the bumpy surface as the likely cause, with the car’s speed fluctuating slightly as it crossed the line.
Although the margin was small, it was enough to trigger the penalty and add to an already difficult race. Colapinto said the final corner had also been tricky to manage, especially before the track was cleaned, but felt conditions improved once the debris had been cleared.
“No, it’s on the entry, I think. I mean, it’s all systems related because we are all on the pit limiter, but it spikes up with it. I think it’s very bumpy in the pit lane now as well, and it’s like probably the speed goes a bit up and down, and it’s like 0.1, I think I sped byb0.1 or something. So it’s a very little thing, but yeah, just enough to get the penalty.”
“Yeah, it was quite sketchy, the last corner […]. Yeah, tricky bit to manage, but I think once they cleaned that, it was a bit better.”
Williams tactics leave Alpine stuck in frustrating Monaco traffic
Colapinto felt the Williams tactics were difficult to police, as they were part of how teams can manage a race around Monaco. He suggested the stewards could look at it when it becomes obvious, but admitted it was hard to punish a driver for simply slowing the pace.
From his side, however, it made the race extremely frustrating. Colapinto said Alpine and the cars around them stopped, only to catch the Williams train again within a few laps. That left him stuck in traffic and unable to use the pace he felt he had.
He added that the situation made Monaco a poor race to be part of when cars ahead were managing the field so heavily. While he felt running several seconds off the pace was not the right way to race, he also accepted that Williams were within their rights to use the strategy.
“Well, I think it’s a Monaco thing. It’s very tricky to kind of punish that because it’s… You can do it and you can go a bit slower. I don’t know, maybe yeah, if it’s obvious, stewards can have a look at it or something like that.
“Because for us, it’s very boring. We all stop, and in four laps they catch them back. It’s a terrible race to race at when you have something like that happening in front, and it’s just extremely frustrating.
“We got lapped twice in 50 laps, like it was five seconds off the pace some of the laps, and of course that’s not how you should be racing, but they are in all their right to do it.”
Safety car confusion adds to chaotic F1 Monaco GP for Alpine and Colapinto
Colapinto also addressed the confusion around the safety car procedure after Lance Stroll’s crash. While some drivers were directed through the pit lane, he said Alpine did not follow that route.
The Argentine believed it had been the correct call from his side and added that he had not heard anything different over the radio at the time.
“No, I think we didn’t go through, but it was the right call, I think. I don’t know, I didn’t hear anything different.”
