Qualifying for Formula 1’s Imola Grand Prix has been red-flagged a second time for a crash by Alpine driver Franco Colapinto.
On his final flyer at the end of Q1 Colapinto, who is making his 2025 season debut with Alpine this weekend, dipped his wheels onto the grass on the exit of Tamburello, the first corner sequence at Imola.
That error sent the Argentinian spinning into the gravel trap before hitting the barriers head on, fortunately at reduced speed.
Colapinto signalled he was okay to his team before climbing out. It was the second heavy smash in Q1 following a violent accident for Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda at the next corner sequence, the Villeneuve chicane.
Tsunoda went backwards into the tyre barriers and was sent into a barrel roll, but landed the right side up and climbed out unhurt.
After the curtailed Q1 segment Lawson was dumped out in 16th, followed by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg, Haas driver Esteban Ocon and Bearman.
Colapinto had qualified for Q2 in 14th but is likely to receive a grid penalty for an infraction during the first red flag.
Colapinto had entered the fast lane of the pitlane before a restart time had been announced, with a similar incident costing Mercedes duo George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli one place on the grid in Bahrain earlier this year.
The 21-year-old Argentinian replaces Jack Doohan at Alpine from the weekend onwards, joining the Enstone squad after a nine-race stint with Williams in 2024.
The start of Q2 had to be delayed for tyre barrier repairs at Tamburello.
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