MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Alpine's Argentine Formula One driver Franco Colapinto has accepted he must obey team orders after defying them in Austin last weekend.
The 22-year-old overtook teammate Pierre Gasly for 17th place in the U.S. Grand Prix despite being told by the team to stay behind the Frenchman. Gasly ended up 19th, behind Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto.
"The team situation on Sunday has been discussed internally and it is clear that instructions by the team must always be followed no matter what,"
Colapinto said in a team preview for Sunday's Mexico City Grand Prix.
"We are all together, and we are all working towards the same goal to keep getting better with each session and each race weekend."
Colapinto is the only driver on the starting grid yet to score a point after 19 races this season, with the Argentine replacing Australian Jack Doohan -- also pointless -- after the first six races.
Steve Nielsen, the Renault-owned team's managing director, had said on Sunday night that there was plenty to review after the race in Austin, and was openly critical of Colapinto's behaviour.
"We gave the instruction for the drivers to maintain position as we were managing fuel with both cars and the added variable of the number of laps remaining with the leaders in close proximity," he explained.
"As a team, any instruction made by the pit wall is final and today we are disappointed that this didn't happen so it's something we will review and deal with internally."
Alpine have yet to confirm who will partner Gasly next year, although de facto principal Flavio Briatore said last month that it would be either Colapinto or Estonian reserve Paul Aron.
Aron will take Gasly's place for first Friday practice in Mexico City, putting him on track in the same session as Colapinto.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
