Alpine handed double-hammer blow as major punishments confirmed

Alpine has been handed a double-hammer blow following the Mexico City Grand Prix, with both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto receiving heavy post-race punishments. 

Colapinto and Gasly had finished in seventh and ninth, scoring the French outfit a strong eight points in its late pursuit of Racing Bulls in the fight for fifth in the constructors' standings. 

However, it was soon announced after the race that both drivers had to visit the stewards for alleged yellow flag infringement, of which Gasly an Colapinto have been punished. 

Gasly has received a time converted stop-and-go penalty and two penalty points, demoting him from ninth to last (P17), while Colapinto has received a 10-second time penalty and one penalty point which drops him outside the points to 15th. 

Remarkably, it promotes rookie Ryo Hirakawa into 10th, meaning a point finish on his debut for Haas. It also promotes Liam Lawson into seventh.

For Gasly's significant punishment, the stewards' report read: "The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 10 (Pierre Gasly), team representative and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry and in-car video evidence.

"The driver and team representative claimed that the driver had made a significant reduction in speed in the double yellow flag sector however a detailed examination of the telemetry and that of other cars passing through that sector, led the Stewards to conclude that the small reduction noted was not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the regulations."

Colapinto's was not as severe as the Frenchman's, with the stewards' report reading for the Argentinian's breach:  "The Stewards heard from the driver of Car 43 (Franco Colapinto), team representative and reviewed positioning/marshalling system data, video, timing, telemetry, team radio and in-car video evidence.

"The driver and team presented telemetry and photographic evidence claiming it demonstrated that the driver had complied with the regulations which state that the driver must reduce speed and be prepared to change direction. A detailed examination of the telemetry and on board camera failed to satisfy the Stewards that the driver had sufficiently reduced speed through that single yellow sector.

"In relation to the previous double yellow flag sector the Stewards determined that there was sufficient doubt that the driver had sufficient warning in order to comply with the requirements, so did not determine that there was any breach in relation to that sector."