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 unfolded on lap 36, when the safety‑car period ended and Colapinto mis‑calculated his braking into Turn 1.
Carrying excessive speed, he clipped the side of Alpine teammate Gasly, sending Gasly’s car into the outer edge of Norris’s McLaren. The chain reaction forced Norris into the barriers, while both Alpine cars sustained enough damage to retire from the event.
At the moment of the crash, Gasly was holding seventh place, Norris eighth, and Colapinto tenth. Visibly frustrated, Norris said, “In the end I was just taken out. There are some drivers who really shouldn’t be in Formula 1, to be honest.” He reiterated his sentiment in a written interview, adding, “I haven’t seen a precedent for this, but if you cause a restart collision you deserve at least a one‑race ban. The FIA needs to be tougher and start handing out suspensions for this sort of behaviour.” Colapinto, for his part, expressed remorse over the team radio and later in post‑race interviews, describing the incident as a “big mistake.” He apologized to the entire Alpine operation, emphasizing that the error stemmed from cold brakes, cold tyres and a locked‑up wheel that left him “completely out of control.” He specifically said, “I’m very sorry to Pierre and to Lando.
It was a huge error and I regret taking both of them out.” The stewards imposed a ten‑second time penalty on Colapinto for causing the collision. Because he had already retired, the penalty could not be served in‑race and was therefore converted into a five‑place grid drop for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Under the sport’s penalty‑point system, drivers accrue points on their super licences for on‑track misdemeanours; a driver is banned for a race after reaching twelve points within a rolling twelve‑month window. Colapinto currently sits on four points and, apart from the grid penalty, received no additional points for the Azerbaijan incident.
Norris labelled Colapinto’s driving as “just careless” and unfit for the pinnacle of motorsport. He lamented the financial impact, noting that “all my parts are in the bin now” and that such reckless behaviour has no place in Formula 1. He argued that drivers should anticipate low grip and cold tyre conditions, especially after a safety‑car period, and that the sport should be populated by those who can manage those challenges.
"When things like this happen, it shows they shouldn’t be there," Norris asserted. The incident came at a difficult time for Norris, who had already been battling straight‑line speed deficiencies with his McLaren.
Earlier in the race, he had been forced wide at the first corner, allowing Gasly to overtake him six laps earlier. Gasly, meanwhile, was on track to match his second‑best finish of the season, sitting in seventh place after a strong performance on the Baku street circuit.
Alpine had been poised to close the nine‑point gap to the Racing Bulls in the Constructors’ Championship, as both of their cars were in the points when the safety‑car period began. However, the crash erased that momentum, leaving the team fifteen points behind the Bulls after Arvid Lindblad’s late surge secured seventh place for the rivals. Gasly, speaking to Sky Sports F1, admitted he was at a loss for words: “It’s not easy.
We had a great weekend and one of the best cars we’ve had this season, keeping pace with Lewis Hamilton and Lando for most of the race. Yet we ended up being outscored by the Racing Bulls by a large margin.
It’s not an ideal day, but we’ll move on and try to make up the points by season’s end.” The fallout extended beyond the track. Gasly later condemned the “completely inappropriate” online abuse he and his family received after the crash, noting that some Argentine fans directed hostile messages toward him. Both Alpine and Colapinto have publicly denounced such harassment, urging respect for all drivers.
Looking ahead, both Colapinto and Gasly have confirmed their seats with Alpine for the next season. When asked about the future of their partnership, Gasly emphasized respect as the foundation: “It’s all about respect. As long as there’s respect, anything is possible.” Colapinto echoed this sentiment, stating, “We get along well.
Since we first worked together we’ve had a good relationship, so we’ll move forward together.” Formula 1 will travel to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit. Fans can watch live coverage from Friday morning on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract. The upcoming race will test whether the FIA will adopt Norris’s call for stricter penalties and whether Colapinto can rebound from the controversy while maintaining his place in the sport.