Alpine entered scrutiny after the third practice session of the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix when officials identified a procedural issue involving Franco Colapinto’s tyre allocation. The session began under a wet declaration from the race director, which triggered specific obligations under the sporting regulations. One of these obligations requires each team to electronically return one set of intermediate tyres within two hours of the end of FP3.
FIA technical delegate Joe Bauer confirmed that Alpine did not complete this electronic return for Colapinto’s allocation. The matter was forwarded to the stewards with a request for formal investigation. The rule is set out in Article 30.5.g) and applies only when a wet declaration is issued. It allows the FIA to manage tyre stocks properly and ensures consistent procedure across all teams in varying track conditions.
Cases of this nature usually result from administrative oversight rather than competitive advantage. Past incidents show that fines are the standard outcome. Williams received a fine at the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix after mistakenly fitting tyres that had already been electronically returned for Alex Albon. In 2023, Haas was fined for physically returning a set of intermediate tyres instead of completing the required electronic process.
The Alpine situation mirrors these examples. The team is unlikely to face sporting penalties such as a grid drop, since the error does not influence performance. The stewards are expected to review the documentation and issue a decision, with a financial penalty being the probable outcome.
