PALMER: Was Colapinto right to disobey team orders in Austin?

Franco Colapinto drew the ire from his Alpine team for ignoring their call for him to sit behind Pierre Gasly in the final stages of the United States Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen approached to put a lap on both Alpine cars.

It was a call that clearly frustrated the Argentinian driver who hasn’t got a confirmed seat for 2026 yet – and with plenty to prove, he showed some fight on track.

Disobeying team orders is always risky business for a driver, particularly when you are eager for a new contract, but to be honest I didn’t mind seeing it from Colapinto here. Personally I felt the team orders were overkill from Alpine.