FIA penalises Gasly and Colapinto after Mexican GP as Hirakawa scores on F1 debut

News Summary

• Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto received post-race penalties for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags during the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix.
• Gasly was handed a stop-and-go penalty and Colapinto received ten seconds, with both Alpine drivers dropping out of the points.
• Liam Lawson moves to seventh, Gabriel Bortoleto to eighth and Isack Hadjar to ninth, while Ryō Hirakawa inherits tenth and scores his first Formula 1 point on debut.

The FIA has imposed post-race penalties on Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags during Sunday’s (November 1) Mexico City Grand Prix, removing both Alpine drivers from the points and changing the race classification once again. The decisions promote Liam Lawson to seventh and allow Ryō Hirakawa to score his first Formula 1 championship point in his debut race for Haas.

The sanctions were confirmed in FIA stewards’ documents 84 and 85, issued after the Grand Prix, and follow an earlier ten-second penalty imposed on Oscar Piastri for causing a collision with Arvid Lindblad.

FIA hands Gasly stop-and-go penalty for double yellow flag infringement

Gasly received the more severe punishment after the stewards determined that he had failed to reduce his speed sufficiently while passing through a sector displaying double yellow flags.

According to document 84, the Alpine driver and team argued that he had made a significant reduction in speed.

However, the stewards reviewed telemetry, timing information, video evidence and the speeds of other drivers passing through the same sector.

They concluded that Gasly’s reduction in speed had been insufficient to comply with the regulations.

The Frenchman was consequently handed a post-race stop-and-go penalty, along with two penalty points on his super licence.

The decision cites Article B1.8.4b of the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Regulations.

Gasly had initially finished tenth before moving to ninth following Piastri’s penalty, but the subsequent sanction dropped him out of the points.

Colapinto loses seventh place after separate yellow flag breach

Colapinto was also investigated for failing to slow sufficiently under yellow flags.

The Argentine received a ten-second time penalty and one super licence penalty point, taking his total to five over the preceding 12 months.

According to document 85, the stewards examined two separate yellow flag sectors.

They determined that Colapinto had complied with the requirements in the earlier double yellow flag sector, where he had received sufficient warning.

However, the Alpine driver failed to reduce his speed adequately in a subsequent single yellow flag sector.

Colapinto and the team submitted telemetry and photographic evidence in an attempt to demonstrate compliance, but the stewards rejected their argument concerning the single yellow flag infringement.

The penalty increased his race time by ten seconds, removing him from seventh place in the revised classification.

The decision cites Article B1.8.4a of the FIA Formula 1 Regulations.

Hirakawa scores first F1 point after chaotic Haas debut

The penalties produced an unexpected result for Ryō Hirakawa, who made his Formula 1 debut at the age of 32 after replacing Esteban Ocon at Haas during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.

The Japanese driver had originally crossed the finish line 13th, but gained positions as Piastri, Colapinto and Gasly received penalties.

Hirakawa moves to tenth and earns his first Formula 1 championship point, completing an eventful debut after the sudden driver change at Haas.

The result also marks a significant recovery for Lawson.

The Racing Bulls driver started from the pit lane after being disqualified from qualifying over an MGU-K technical infringement.

He originally finished ninth, but the post-race decisions have now promoted him to seventh, earning six points.

Bortoleto moves to eighth for Audi, collecting four points, while Hadjar takes ninth for Red Bull.

Mexican GP 2026 — Revised race classification

Classification recalculated using the post-race penalties. The exact order of Pérez and Gasly remains subject to the FIA’s official application of Gasly’s stop-and-go penalty.

Alpine loses points as championship standings change again

The penalties represent a significant setback for Alpine, which had provisionally secured a double points finish.

Colapinto had moved to seventh and Gasly to ninth after Piastri’s penalty, but both drivers now leave Mexico without additional championship points.

Racing Bulls benefits from Lawson’s promotion, while Audi gains four points through Bortoleto.

Haas also earns an unexpected point through Hirakawa, who completed his first Formula 1 Grand Prix despite the circumstances surrounding Ocon’s removal.

At the front, the results remain unchanged.

Max Verstappen retains victory ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who became Formula 1’s youngest world champion in Mexico.

The post-race decisions do not affect Antonelli’s championship, but they require further updates to the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championship standings.

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