Alpine Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto was involved in a serious accident whilst conducting Pirelli tyre development work at the Hungaroring circuit on Wednesday morning.
The 22-year-old Argentine lost control at Turn 11 during the second day of testing and required medical attention following the impact.
Team Update
During Day 2 of Pirelli Tyre Testing at the Hungaroring this morning, Franco Colapinto had an incident at Turn 11. Franco was assessed on site at the medical centre and is OK.
— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) August 6, 2025Â
The incident occurred at one of the circuit’s most challenging corners, a high-speed right-hand bend taken at approximately 142 miles per hour with minimal run-off area beyond the exit kerbing.
Images from the scene revealed extensive damage to Colapinto’s car, with debris strewn across the track surface.
The severity of the impact necessitated immediate medical evaluation at the circuit’s facilities.
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The car was damaged considerably after the crash
Witnesses described the collision as particularly forceful, with the Argentine’s car making significant contact with the tyre barriers.
No specific details have emerged regarding the circumstances that led to the loss of control at this demanding section of the Hungarian track.
The testing session was part of Pirelli’s development programme for their 2026 compounds, which will be narrower than current specifications as part of sweeping regulatory changes.
Several teams volunteered cars for the two-day evaluation, with McLaren and Racing Bulls participating on Tuesday.
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Wednesday’s running featured Alpine alongside Ferrari, who brought a modified SF-25 designed to simulate 2026 performance characteristics.
Pierre Gasly was scheduled to share driving duties with Colapinto in a year-old Alpine chassis.
The Argentine racer has endured a difficult campaign since joining Alpine on loan from Williams, failing to register a single championship point across nine races.
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Franco Colapinto’s position at Alpine is currently precarious
His teammate Pierre Gasly has accumulated all 20 of the team’s points this season, leaving Alpine anchored at the bottom of the constructors’ standings.
Colapinto has been comprehensively outpaced in qualifying, trailing Gasly 7-2, and has twice crashed during Saturday sessions.
His appointment as Jack Doohan’s replacement earlier this year has come under increasing scrutiny.
Reports suggest Alpine could rotate him out of the seat, with Doohan, reserve driver Paul Aron, or Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas mentioned as potential replacements before season’s end.
The incident represents another setback for Colapinto, whose position reportedly remains precarious with race-by-race contracts.
His sole bright spot came last weekend when he outqualified and outperformed Gasly at the same venue.