Pierre Gasly is adamant that he has buried the team orders hatchet with team-mate Franco Colapinto after Alpine’s intervention post Formula 1‘s United States Grand Prix.
Gasly found himself with the short end of the stick after the Argentinian driver chose to defy team orders at the Circuit of the Americas last Sunday.
With Gabriel Bortoleto hot on his heels, Colapinto made a move on the Frenchman despite clear instructions from the team to hold position.
While the 22-year-old made the move stick, the Alpine duo took the chequered flag after the 56-lap race outside the points for the fourth consecutive race weekend.
Colapinto was quick to defend himself after the race, but a private intervention from the Anglo-French marque made him change his stance in the build up to this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
During media day for the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Gasly was quizzed about his views on the internal discussions that took place over the course of the week.
“We talked about it. Just no point to talk about it here. What’s had to be said has been said and it’s all fine,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“Ultimately as a team we are not in an enjoyable situation. So I think we’re just trying to stick together as a team, be united and that’s what we just want to achieve.”
Colapinto has five races remaining this season to retain his seat with the Enstone-based team for 2026. Gasly believes that while his team-mate’s antics at Austin did him no favors, the 22-year-old will “learn” from his mistakes going forward.
“I think overall, as an individual, he’s done well. And that’s it, I think,” he said.
“Obviously, what he’s done last week or last Sunday doesn’t reflect what he’s achieved as a driver. Was it his finest decision? No.Will he learn from it? Yes.
“But the nice thing overall is he’s doing a good job for the team. And I think it’s important just to pull forward in the same direction as a team.”
Colapinto explains team orders defiance
Also speaking in the build up to the race weekend in Mexico, Colapinto doubled down on his promise to Alpine, telling media including Motorsport Week that he was adamant that it was “all good and clear” with Gasly and the incident was now in the past.
That said, he opened up about how the team’s lack of competitiveness with the A525, and his own inability to still adapt to the team’s car concept led to his decision in the dying embers of the race.
“I think I’m struggling generally with the car and on my side it’s tricky to find the right balance at the moment,” explained Colapinto.
“I’m focusing on that and of course we are racing at the same time. The decisions are made by milliseconds and are tricky to make.
“The reality is that we are very close to each other all the time. These last six races, personally, I’ve been fighting pace and I’ve been quite strong but it’s also true that we cannot show any real personal pace sometimes because at the end of the day we are far and we are a bit too far.”
Colapinto also shed light on how a lack of clarity about his future with the team might also be aggravating the situation that he finds himself in.
“I don’t know what my decision would have been or how I would have reacted if I had already had a contract for three or four years or at least the next one,” he surmised.
“[But] I fully agree. I fully agree that instructions should always be obeyed. The situations are tricky and I think as a driver it was natural for me at the moment to compete.”
READ MORE — Franco Colapinto backtracks on Alpine team order in F1 US GP
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