Alpine F1 driver Colapinto crashes during tyre test
Alpine, who are also fielding Pierre Gasly at the test, described Colapinto as “okay” following medical checks.;
Franco Colapinto (File photo)
HUNGARY: Franco Colapinto suffered a crash on the second morning of Pirelli’s post-Hungarian Grand Prix test, Alpine have confirmed.
Alpine, McLaren, Ferrari and Racing Bulls are all taking part in the two-day test at the Hungaroring, which is being used for 2026 tyre development work.
However, after taking over driving duties from test and reserve driver Paul Aron on Wednesday, Colapinto had an off at Turn 11 that halted his running.
Alpine, who are also fielding Pierre Gasly at the test, described Colapinto as “okay” following medical checks.
“During Day 2 of Pirelli Tyre Testing at the Hungaroring this morning, Franco Colapinto had an incident at Turn 11,” read a brief statement from Alpine.
“Franco was assessed on site at the Medical Centre and is okay.”
The crash comes at a tense time for Colapinto, who joined Alpine on loan from Williams earlier this year. Having replaced Jack Doohan mid-season, the 22-year-old has struggled to settle into the A524, failing to score a single point alongside Pierre Gasly.
His underwhelming performances have triggered speculation over his future, with potential replacements including reserve drivers Doohan and Paul Aron, as well as Mercedes backup Valtteri Bottas.
Other drivers who have been in action at the test are last weekend’s race winner Lando Norris for McLaren, Liam Lawson for Racing Bulls and Charles Leclerc for Ferrari.
Pirelli’s test is aimed at evaluating 2026 tyre constructions, which need to be homologated by September 1 and prototype compounds, which need to be homologated by December 15.
After this week’s outing at the Hungaroring, six more days of 2026 testing have been planned: two each at Italian tracks Monza and Mugello, and two in Mexico City.