Lando Norris has openly called for Franco Colapinto to be suspended for at least one race following the incident that eliminated both him and Pierre Gasly from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The controversy began on lap 36, when the Safety‑Car period ended and the field rolled back onto the start‑finish straight. Colapinto, who had been running in the points, mis‑calculated his braking distance into Turn 1. Carrying excessive speed, he locked his cold tyres, lost control and slammed into the side of Alpine teammate Gasly.
The impact forced Gasly’s car into the outside of Norris’s McLaren, sending the Briton spinning into the barriers. All three drivers were forced to retire.
At the time of the collision Gasly was seventh, Norris eighth and Colapinto tenth. Norris, visibly upset, said, “At the end of the day I just got taken out.
Some drivers really shouldn’t be in Formula 1, to be honest.” He later added in a written interview, “I haven’t seen a crash like that on a restart before, and anyone who causes a multi‑car incident like this should at least face a one‑race ban. The FIA needs to be stricter and start handing out suspensions for this sort of reckless behaviour.” Colapinto, for his part, issued a heartfelt apology over the team radio and again in post‑race interviews. He described the episode as a "big mistake" and expressed remorse to both the Alpine team and the drivers he had taken out. “I’m extremely sorry to Pierre, to the whole factory, and to Lando.
It was cold brakes, cold tyres, a lock‑up and I was completely out of control,” he said. He admitted that the error cost Alpine valuable points and jeopardised their battle for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship. The stewards handed Colapinto a ten‑second time penalty 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. In addition, the driver already carries four penalty points on his super‑licence; a further twelve points within a twelve‑month window would trigger an automatic race ban.
However, the incident did not add any new points to his tally. Norris was blunt in describing Colapinto’s driving as "just careless" and not befitting a Formula 1 competitor. "It costs a lot of money – all my parts are in the bin now," he lamented. "In Formula 1 you would expect drivers to anticipate low grip and cold tyre conditions.
When you see something like this, it tells you that the driver probably doesn’t belong at this level." The crash also compounded a difficult weekend for Norris, who had already been battling straight‑line speed deficits with his McLaren. He had dropped behind Gasly earlier in the race after running wide at the first corner. Gasly, meanwhile, was on course to match his second‑best finish of the season, sitting seventh and having shown strong pace throughout the street circuit. Alpine had been poised to close the nine‑point gap to the Racing Bulls team – who were sitting 12th and 14th – and could have significantly narrowed the deficit in the fight for fifth place in the championship.
Instead, the incident left Alpine fifteen points behind the Bulls after a late surge from Arvid Lindblad, who claimed seventh place. Gasly, still reeling from the loss, told Sky Sports F1, "It’s not easy.
We had a very good weekend, one of the best cars we’ve had this season, and we were keeping up with Lewis and Lando for most of the race. But I’m still trying to process the outcome – we had both cars in the points and still got outscored by the Bulls. Not an ideal day, but we’ll move on and try to make up the loss by the end of the year." The fallout extended beyond the track.
Gasly revealed that he and his family had been subjected to "completely inappropriate" abuse on social media after the crash, a pattern that has been linked to some Argentine fans targeting Alpine drivers online. Both Colapinto and Alpine have condemned the harassment and called for respectful behaviour from supporters. Looking ahead, both drivers are confirmed to stay with Alpine for the next season. When asked about the future of their partnership, Gasly emphasised the importance of mutual respect, saying, "As long as there is respect, everything is possible." Colapinto echoed the sentiment, noting that they have worked well together since their first collaboration and intend to move forward positively.
Formula 1 will travel to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for the Bahrain Grand Prix, marking the series' first return to the venue since 2017. Fans can watch live coverage on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW without a long‑term contract. The incident in Baku has reignited debate over driver standards, penalty consistency, and the role of the FIA in maintaining safety and professionalism on the sport’s biggest stage.