Franco Colapinto in humbling U-turn over team orders row after Alpine dressing-down

Franco Colapinto declared that "instructions by the team must always be followed no matter what" after an internal review of his late-race move on Pierre Gasly at the United States Grand Prix. The Argentine prodigy ignored team orders and overtook his team-mate during the closing stages of the race.

Both Alpines were battling Gabriel Bortoleto for the lowest three positions filled by cars still running on Sunday, when Colapinto was told to hold position behind Gasly. The 22-year-old protested and called his team-mate "slow" on the radio, before disobeying orders and lunging down the inside at Turn One with three laps remaining.

The move was a good one, but Alpine bosses didn't see the positive side. Managing director Steve Nielsen was extremely unhappy with the decision to go against team orders and promised an internal review.

Colapinto, meanwhile, tried to justify his decision in his post-race interviews. "We had quite a bit more pace than Pierre in the last stint, and had Bortoleto really close behind, attacking very hard," he explained. "He was much quicker than us and it was holding me up with how slow Pierre was going. I think it was the best for the situation to have me in front."

Now, however, Colapinto has U-turned and expressed his understanding of the team's position. The Pilar-born racer is fighting to secure his long-term F1 future, with him and Paul Aron in competition for the seat alongside Gasly in 2026.

"It was a challenging weekend in Austin, where I struggled a lot with the car," he said ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix. "Having just one practice session, the tricky conditions, and not being able to find the right balance all played into a tough weekend on my side.

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"We need to understand more closely why we struggled so much with the car and work to fix this going forward, even if we know we're in for a difficult end to the year with the package we have. The team situation on Sunday has been discussed internally, and it is clear that instructions by the team must always be followed, no matter what.

"We are all together, and we are all working towards the same goal to keep getting better with each session and each race weekend. I am looking ahead now to Mexico City, where the atmosphere is always amazing.

"It will be great to have so much support over the weekend, and although the high altitude of the circuit adds an additional challenge, I am excited to get back out on track in front of such an incredible crowd."