Lando Norris has openly called for Franco Colapinto to be suspended for a race following the incident that eliminated both him and Pierre Gasly from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The controversy unfolded during the first safety‑car restart on lap 36, when Colapinto mis‑calculated his braking point into turn one. Carrying excessive speed, he clipped the side of Alpine teammate Gasly, sending Gasly’s car into the outer side of Norris’s McLaren. The chain reaction forced Norris into the barriers, while both Alpine cars suffered damage severe enough to retire from the event.
At the moment of the crash, Gasly was running seventh, Norris eighth and Colapinto tenth. Visibly upset, Norris told reporters, “In the end, I was just taken out.
There are some drivers who, honestly, shouldn’t be in Formula 1.” He went on to stress that the sport’s governing body should adopt a tougher stance on dangerous restarts, adding, “I haven’t seen the footage yet, but if you cause a crash on a restart like this, a minimum one‑race ban seems appropriate. The FIA needs to start handing out bans for this sort of reckless behaviour.” Colapinto, for his part, issued a sincere apology both over team radio and later in post‑race interviews, describing the episode as a “big mistake.” He said, “I’m very sorry to Pierre, to the whole factory, and to everyone who worked hard this weekend. We were both in the points, so it’s incredibly disappointing. The error was caused by cold brakes, cold tyres, a lock‑up and a total loss of control.
I also took out Lando, and I’m truly sorry to both of them.” The race stewards imposed a ten‑second time penalty on Colapinto for causing the collision. Because he had already retired, the penalty could not be served on track and was therefore converted into a five‑place grid drop for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Under the current FIA penalty‑point system, drivers receive a race ban only after accumulating twelve points on their super licence within a rolling twelve‑month window. Colapinto entered the weekend with four points and did not receive any additional points for the incident, meaning the grid penalty is the only sanction he will carry forward.
Norris characterised Colapinto’s driving as “careless” and not befitting the standards of Formula 1. He lamented the financial impact of the crash, noting that “all my parts are now in the bin.” He added, “In Formula 1 you would expect drivers to anticipate low grip and cold tyre conditions.
When you see incidents like this, it suggests the driver shouldn’t be in the sport.” The crash came at a particularly difficult moment for Norris, who had already been battling a lack of straight‑line speed throughout the weekend. Earlier in the race he had been forced wide at the first corner, dropping behind Gasly by six laps. Gasly, meanwhile, was on course for his second‑best finish of the season, sitting seventh and enjoying a strong weekend on the Baku street circuit.
Alpine had been poised to close the nine‑point gap to Racing Bull’s, who were sitting 12th and 14th in the constructors’ standings at the time of the safety‑car period. With both Alpine cars in the points, the team could have significantly narrowed the deficit.
Instead, the incident left them fifteen points adrift after a late‑race surge by Arvid Lindblad, who claimed seventh place for Racing Bull. Gasly, still reeling from the crash, told Sky Sports F1, “It’s not easy. We had a very good weekend and one of the best race cars we’ve run this season, keeping pace with Lewis Hamilton and Lando for most of the race.
We had a 14‑15 second gap to the midfield. There are many positives, but I’m still struggling to process the outcome. Both cars were in the points, yet we were outscored by Racing Bull by a large margin. Not an ideal day, but we’ll move on and try to make up the lost points before the end of the year.” The aftermath also sparked a wave of online abuse directed at Gasly and his family, which he described as “completely inappropriate.” Both he and Colapinto condemned the harassment, attributing it to a vocal minority of Argentine fans.
Despite the tension, both drivers remain contracted to Alpine for the next season. When asked about their future partnership, Gasly replied, “It’s all about respect. As long as there’s respect, anything is possible.” Colapinto echoed the sentiment, saying, “We get along well.
Since we first worked together, the relationship has been solid, so we’ll move forward together.” Formula 1 will travel to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, with the Bahrain Grand Prix scheduled at the Sepang International Circuit. Fans can watch the live coverage on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW without a long‑term contract.