Franco Colapinto has spoken out following his high-profile clash with Oscar Piastri at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix, insisting he never intended to force the McLaren driver off track and simply did not see him during the heat of battle.
The Alpine rookie’s tangle with the championship leader became one of the main talking points after a dramatic afternoon at the Red Bull Ring.
“I just didn’t see him,” Colapinto told the press, including Total-Motorsport.com, after the race. “He was in my blind spot and I was focused on Tsunoda. I really wanted to get past.”
That split-second decision while dicing with Yuki Tsunoda on Lap 55 had major consequences: as Colapinto jinked right to catch a slipstream, he blocked a lapping Piastri, forcing the Australian onto the grass and triggering a stewards’ investigation.
Colapinto’s actions earned him a five-second penalty, dropping him to 15th in the final results and overshadowing what was already a challenging day for Alpine.
Tough race compounded by Colapinto penalty
The incident with Piastri was only one part of a frustrating afternoon for Colapinto, who had already lost time and picked up damage after being spun around by Tsunoda earlier in the race.
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“I think we struggled with the car,” Colapinto reflected. “It didn’t really work for us well today as a team. In the race, I was getting quicker with the laps. We struggled. With Tsunoda crashing into me, I lost a lot of time.
“Not an easy middle stint, I lost quite a lot of lap time compared to Pierre and then in the last stint was good. Just with the damage of Tsunoda, front wing and floor, it was a bit more difficult, but I think we just struggled as a team today. Tyre deg was quite high for us. We need to understand.”
While Sauber secured a double points finish and closed the gap to rivals in the constructors’ standings, both Colapinto and teammate Pierre Gasly finished well outside the points, intensifying the pressure on the French team.
Colapinto remains positive about Alpine future
Despite a rough race and the penalty, Colapinto remains upbeat about his place at Alpine. Brought in to replace Jack Doohan for an initial five-race run, the Argentine says he has the confidence of team boss Flavio Briatore: “I’m not really concerned. I think he has been very supportive and he trusts [me].”
The stewards’ decision to penalise Colapinto also shines a light on the risks of battling in the midfield at a fast, compact circuit like the Red Bull Ring. With leaders like Piastri coming through to lap the field, a moment’s lapse in awareness can have big consequences.
For Oscar Piastri, the clash threatened to derail his championship campaign, but he managed to recover and continue his title fight. As the season moves forward, both drivers will be hoping for cleaner weekends, but their run-in in Austria is sure to be discussed for some time.
