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 unfolded on lap 36, when the safety‑car period ended and the field set off for the restart. Colapinto, still on cold tyres and struggling with brake temperature, mis‑judged his entry into Turn 1. Carrying excessive speed, he locked the front wheels and slid into the side of Alpine teammate Gasly.
The impact forced Gasly’s Alpine into the path of Norris’s McLaren, sending the British driver into the barriers. Both Alpine cars suffered damage severe enough to force their retirement, while Norris’s McLaren was left stranded on the wall.
At the moment of the collision, Gasly was running seventh, Norris eighth and Colapinto tenth, meaning all three drivers were comfortably inside the points. In the aftermath, a visibly irritated Norris told reporters, "At the end of the day, I just got taken out.
Some drivers really shouldn’t be in Formula 1, to be honest." Speaking to the written press, the reigning world champion added, "I haven’t seen a crash like that on a restart before, and anyone who causes it should at least receive a one‑race ban. The FIA needs to be tougher and start handing out penalties for this sort of reckless behaviour." Colapinto immediately expressed remorse over the team radio and later in a post‑race interview, describing his mistake as "big" and "unacceptable." He said, "I owe a huge apology to Pierre, to the whole Alpine crew and to Lando. It was a cold‑brake, cold‑tyre situation and I locked up, completely losing control. I’m extremely sorry for taking both Pierre and Lando out of the race." The stewards handed Colapinto a ten‑second time penalty for causing the incident.
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 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 period. Colapinto currently sits on four points and did not receive any additional points for the Azerbaijan crash, only the grid penalty. Norris labeled Colapinto’s driving as "careless" and unworthy of the sport, noting the financial impact of the crash: "All my parts are now in the bin – it costs a lot of money.
That kind of driving has no place in Formula 1. In this series you’re expected to anticipate low grip and cold tyre conditions.
When you see incidents like this, it makes you wonder if some drivers belong here." The British driver also highlighted that his weekend had already been challenging due to straight‑line speed deficiencies with his McLaren, which had caused him to lose positions earlier in the race. Six laps before the safety‑car restart, Norris had run wide at Turn 1 and dropped behind Gasly. Gasly, who had been on course for a season‑best seventh place, expressed disappointment after the race. He told Sky Sports F1, "It’s not easy.
We had a very strong weekend, one of the best cars we’ve had this season, and we were keeping pace with Lewis Hamilton and Lando for most of the race. We had a 14‑15 second gap to the midfield, so there were many positives. Yet I’m still trying to process the outcome – we had both cars in the points and then lost out to Racing Bulls by a large margin.
Not an ideal day, but we’ll move on and try to make up the lost ground before the end of the year." The incident also sparked a wave of online abuse directed at Gasly and his family, prompting the French driver to condemn the "completely inappropriate" social‑media attacks he received after the crash. Alpine and Colapinto have both spoken out against the harassment, urging fans to respect the sport and its participants. Both Colapinto and Gasly have confirmed they will remain with Alpine for the 2025 season. When asked about their future partnership, Gasly emphasized respect as the foundation of their relationship, stating, "As long as there is respect, anything is possible." Colapinto echoed the sentiment, noting, "We have always gotten along well since we first worked together, so we’ll move forward together." Formula 1 now turns its attention to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, where the Bahrain Grand Prix will be staged for the first time since 2017.
Fans can watch live coverage on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract. The upcoming race will be a crucial test for the teams and drivers as they seek to recover points lost in Baku and continue the fight for championship positions.