Lando Norris has openly called for a race suspension for Franco Colapinto following the incident that eliminated both him and Pierre Gasly from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The controversy erupted on lap 36 when the safety‑car period ended and Colapinto, still on cold tyres and brakes, misjudged his entry into Turn 1. Carrying excessive speed, he clipped the side of his Alpine teammate Gasly, sending Gasly’s car into the outer wall of Norris’s McLaren.
The impact forced Norris into the barriers, while both Alpine cars sustained enough damage to retire. At the moment of the crash Gasly was running seventh, Norris eighth and Colapinto tenth, meaning all three were in the points. Visibly upset, Norris told reporters, "At the end of the day, I just got taken out. Just some drivers that shouldn't be in Formula 1, to be honest." He went on to argue that the governing body should be tougher on drivers who cause incidents on a restart, suggesting a minimum one‑race ban for such reckless behaviour.
"I've not seen it, but if you cause a crash in a restart like this, you should have at least a one‑race ban," the British driver said, adding that the FIA needs to start handing out penalties for this sort of thing. Colapinto immediately expressed remorse over the team radio and later in post‑race interviews, describing his mistake as "big" and attributing it to cold brakes, cold tyres and a lock‑up that left him out of control. He apologised to both Pierre and Lando, saying, "A big, big sorry to Pierre, to everyone in the factory that has been working really hard. We were both in the points, so it is very sad and disappointing." The stewards imposed a ten‑second time penalty on Colapinto for causing the collision.
Because he had already retired, the penalty was converted into a five‑place grid drop for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Under the FIA’s penalty‑point system, a driver is banned for a race after accumulating twelve points on his super licence within a rolling twelve‑month window. Colapinto currently sits on four points and did not receive any additional points for the Azerbaijan incident, only the grid penalty.
Norris characterised Colapinto’s driving as "just careless" and unfit for the elite level of Formula 1. "It costs a lot of money, all my parts are in the bin now," he lamented, noting that the crash destroyed valuable components. "It is not driving that deserves to be in Formula 1. In this sport you would expect drivers to anticipate low grip and low tyre temperatures.
When stuff like this happens, it shows they shouldn't be there." The British driver also highlighted the broader context of his race, which had already been challenging due to straight‑line speed deficits. He had fallen behind Gasly earlier in the stint after running wide at the first corner.
Gasly, meanwhile, was on course for his second‑best finish of the season, holding seventh place after a strong weekend on the Baku street circuit. Alpine had been poised to close the nine‑point gap to the Racing Bulls team in the fight for fifth in the Constructors' Championship, but the incident erased that momentum, leaving them fifteen points adrift after the race. Gasly, speaking to Sky Sports F1, admitted he was almost speechless after the crash.
"It's not easy. We had a very good weekend and one of the best cars we've had this season, keeping up with Lewis and Lando for most of the race. We had a 14‑ or 15‑second gap to the midfield, so there are many positives.
But I'm still struggling to process the outcome and the fact we lost out to Racing Bulls by a large margin. Not an ideal day, but we will move on and try to make up the points by the end of the year," he said. The Frenchman also addressed the wave of online abuse he and his family received after the incident, calling it "completely inappropriate". Both he and Colapinto have condemned the hostile messages from some Argentine fans, emphasizing that such behaviour is unacceptable.
Looking ahead, both Alpine drivers have confirmed their seats for the next season. When asked about his partnership with Colapinto, Gasly replied, "Respect.
It's all about respect. As long as there is respect, everything is possible." Colapinto echoed the sentiment, stating, "We are good. We have always gotten on well together since we first worked together, so we need to move on." Formula 1 will travel to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for the Bahrain Grand Prix, marking the first Malaysian event since 2017. Fans can watch the live coverage on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW without a long‑term contract.
The incident in Azerbaijan has sparked a broader debate about driver standards, the adequacy of current penalties, and whether the sport should enforce stricter entry criteria to ensure that only the most capable and responsible drivers compete at the highest level.