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 erupted during the first safety‑car restart on lap 36, when Colapinto mis‑judged his braking point into turn 1. Carrying excessive speed, he clipped the side of Alpine teammate Gasly, sending Gasly’s car into the outer side of Norris’s McLaren. The impact spun Norris into the barriers, while both Alpines suffered enough damage to force their retirement.
At the moment of the crash, Gasly was running seventh, Norris eighth and Colapinto tenth. Visibly annoyed, Norris told reporters: “In the end, I was just taken out. There are some drivers who really shouldn’t be in Formula 1, to be honest.” He added that, although he had not seen the incident himself, any driver who causes a restart collision should face at least a one‑race ban. “The FIA needs to be stricter and start handing out bans for this kind of behaviour,” the British driver said.
Colapinto, for his part, issued an apology 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. We were both in the points, so it’s incredibly disappointing.” He explained that cold brakes, cold tyres and a locked‑up wheel left him unable to control the car, resulting in him taking out both Gasly and Norris. 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. Under the current Formula 1 disciplinary system, drivers accrue penalty points on their super licences; twelve points within a rolling twelve‑month period trigger an automatic race ban. Colapinto entered the weekend with four points and, aside from the grid penalty, received no additional points for the Azerbaijan incident. Norris characterised Colapinto’s driving as “careless” and unfit for the sport.
“It costs a lot of money – all my parts are now in the bin,” he lamented. “In Formula 1 you expect drivers to anticipate low grip and cold tyres.
When you see something like this, it tells you that the driver probably shouldn’t be there.” The British driver also noted that his race had already been “impossible” due to straight‑line speed deficiencies with his car. He had fallen behind Gasly earlier in the stint after running wide at the first corner. Gasly, meanwhile, had been on course for 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 rival team Racing Bulls in the fight for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, as both of their cars were in the points when the safety‑car period began.
However, the incident erased that advantage, and the team now trails Racing Bulls by fifteen points after a late surge by Arvid Lindblad, who claimed seventh place. Gasly, speaking to Sky Sports F1, admitted he was almost at a loss for words: “It’s not easy. We had a very good weekend and one of the best race cars we’ve had this season.
We were keeping up with Lewis Hamilton and Lando for most of the race and had a 14‑15‑second gap to the midfield. There are many positives, but I’m still struggling to process the outcome.
We had both cars in the points and still got outscored by Racing Bulls. Not an ideal day, but we’ll move on and try to make up the loss by the end of the year.” Gasly also addressed the "completely inappropriate" online abuse he and his family received after the crash, noting that some Argentine fans had targeted him on social media. Both he and Colapinto, who remain with Alpine for the next season, condemned the harassment and stressed the importance of mutual respect within the team.
When asked about continuing to work together, Gasly replied, “Respect is everything. As long as there is respect, anything is possible.” Colapinto echoed the sentiment, saying, “We get along well. Since we first worked together we’ve had a good relationship, so we’ll move forward.” The Formula 1 calendar now turns to Malaysia for the first Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit since 2017. Fans can watch the live broadcast on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW for those who prefer an online option without a long‑term contract.