Franco Colapinto has apologised to his Alpine team for his mistake on the Italian Grand Prix restart, following his "cool" fight with Max Verstappen.
The Argentine driver restarted fourth following the red flag for Charles Leclerc's early crash, and was side-by-side with Verstappen through Curva Grande on the opening lap of the second phase of the race, before the Red Bull nipped ahead into the second chicane.
Colapinto then found himself battling Lewis Hamilton in fourth place around the first Lesmo corner, but in mid-corner, he had a snap of oversteer, which when corrected, spat the Alpine off into the gravel and well down the order.
Colapinto eventually recovered to take ninth place and earn two points, his first since 10th in Belgium, as pole-sitting team-mate Pierre Gasly took seventh.
However, reflecting, Colapinto was apologetic to his team for potentially costing it more points.
"I think when you're in the car, you don't really kind of feel the difference if it's one driver or another, but it was cool to be fighting with them," Colapinto said of his restart battle with Verstappen to media, including RacingNews365.
"To be fighting side by side with the top cars and the top teams, we cannot really do it, and so to just miss an opportunity like this, it's very painful.
"The big three, it's very good. I was with four of the top teams' cars on the restart, and that's why it hurts so much to throw it away. By taking more risks and being up there with them, you don't realise that it's not really your fight. You feel in the moment, and you want to give your all. I'm taking risks, and maybe it makes sense.
"I just lost the car completely in Turn Six, a bit out of nowhere. Fighting with the top teams gets you very motivated very quickly.
"I will learn for the future. We don't get many of these opportunities fighting up there at the front, and it's extra frustrating to have moments like this. I think we should have scored more points, so I'm sorry for the team."
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Samuel Coop and Nick Golding as they look back on the Italian GP and look ahead to Madrid! Kimi Antonelli's incredible win is a main discussion, as is Lewis Hamilton's frustration with Ferrari.
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