Colapinto Gets 15-Place Bahrain Grid Drop After FIA Ruling
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 2, 2026
FIA penalties in Bahrain
The FIA stewards handed out power-unit penalties in Bahrain after first practice, sending Isack Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto farther back on the grid. Hadjar took a five-place grid drop for using a seventh internal combustion engine. Lindblad received a 30-place penalty after exceeding limits on three components. Colapinto lost 10 places for using a fifth internal combustion engine, and the ruling leaves all three drivers with tougher starting spots for the race.
The penalties make the grid picture more complicated for the teams involved. Hadjar’s hit is the smallest of the three, while Lindblad’s penalty is the heaviest. Colapinto’s case sits in the middle on the day, but his total loss grows once the earlier sanction from Azerbaijan is added in.
Colapinto’s 15-place loss
Colapinto now faces a total grid loss of 15 places after the earlier penalty tied to his crash in Azerbaijan. The stewards said he was wholly or predominantly to blame for that Baku incident, which ended the races of Colapinto, Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris. That earlier ruling leaves him with a steep climb before the lights go out.
The Azerbaijan crash and the FIA’s latest decision leave Colapinto with more ground to make up before the race. For Colapinto, that means the start will be about damage control. The stewards’ findings from Baku also keep attention on the incident, since they directly linked the crash to the driver’s actions and then tied that incident to the grid penalty he carried into Bahrain.
Russell, heat hazard
Mercedes is also weighing a similar penalty for George Russell, with the team set to judge the best circuit and race situation before it makes a move. The decision is still a consideration, not a completed move, and it sits alongside the broader power-unit picture that has already altered the order in Bahrain.
The FIA also declared a heat hazard, which requires driver cooling systems. That ruling adds another consideration for teams preparing for the race. Between the power-unit sanctions and the heat warning, the Bahrain weekend has already brought multiple FIA decisions into focus.
