The current situation of Franco Colapinto in Formula 1 is not only affected by the performance of the Alpine, one of the least competitive cars on the grid, but also by the condition of his engine. The Argentine driver has already completed four consecutive races with the same unit and, after reaching the limit of allowed components, he could receive a penalty if the team decides to replace them.
The problem is a carryover, since Jack Doohan, who drove the A525 in six Grands Prix before Miami, used three of the slots on key parts such as the turbocharger and the MGU-H. With the regulatory limit set at four per season, Colapinto is already using the fifth, which also shows significant wear after Belgium, Hungary, Netherlands, and Italy.
The regulations are clear and state that no car may exceed four units of internal combustion engine, turbochargers, MGU-H, and MGU-K throughout the year. If this happens, five-place grid penalties are applied for each extra replacement.
