Ocon Accepts Penalty and Apologizes to Colapinto After China GP Collision

Esteban Ocon has openly acknowledged that he 'deserved the penalty' following a collision with Franco Colapinto at the Chinese Grand Prix, extending his apologies to the Haas driver after the incident marred what could have been a strong race for both.

The incident occurred midway through Sunday's race at the Shanghai International Circuit. Both drivers had adopted a strategic approach by starting on hard tyres and opting to stay out during a Safety Car period when most of the field pitted. This positioned them competitively towards the front of the pack.

Colapinto, rejoining the track after his pit stop, emerged just ahead of Ocon, who had stopped three laps earlier. As Colapinto took a wide line through the long right-hand Turns 1-2, Ocon attempted an inside move into a narrowing gap. The maneuver resulted in Ocon's Haas car striking the right-rear tyre of Colapinto's Alpine, causing both vehicles to spin.

Despite the contact, Colapinto managed to rejoin the race and secure a P10 finish, earning a valuable point. Ocon, however, dropped to P14 after receiving a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision. Speaking post-race, Ocon took full responsibility: "It's my fault, I did a mistake, I misjudged it."

Ocon further elaborated in the media pen, where he spoke directly with Colapinto, and later shared his sentiments on social media. "I'm glad that Franco still got a point because he drove a very good race," Ocon said. "We did good fights all the way until then. It's a shame it ended like this but he's still in the top 10, so that's very good. I deserved the penalty today, it's very clear."

Reflecting on his own performance, Ocon expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity. "But we were on for a very good race, but this is the second time in a row, two races that we pick up the Safety Car at the wrong point. We started on the reverse strategy and I knew that was going to happen. It was looking good until then for very good points, so disappointed."

In a brighter note for Haas, Ocon's teammate Ollie Bearman delivered a strong P5 finish, continuing his impressive form with points in the Australian Grand Prix and the China Sprint race.