Lando Norris has openly called for Franco Colapinto to be suspended for at least one race after the Argentine driver’s mis‑calculation caused a multi‑car incident that eliminated both Alpine drivers and Norris himself from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The trouble began on lap 36, when the safety‑car period ended and the field prepared for a rolling restart. Colapinto, who was running tenth at the time, entered the first corner too fast and mis‑judged his braking point. The car locked up on cold tyres, slid sideways and slammed into his teammate Pierre Gasly, who was positioned on the inside line.
The impact forced Gasly’s Alpine into the path of Norris’s McLaren, sending the British driver into the barriers. All three cars suffered terminal damage and were forced to retire. At the time of the crash, Gasly was holding seventh place, Norris was eighth and Colapinto was tenth, meaning the three of them were all scoring points and had the potential to boost Alpine’s fight for a higher position in the Constructors’ Championship.
The incident not only cost the team valuable points but also highlighted the thin margin for error when tyre temperatures are low and grip is scarce on a street circuit. Norris, clearly frustrated, said after the race: "At the end of the day, I just got taken out.
Some drivers really shouldn’t be in Formula 1, to be honest." He added in a written interview that, in his view, a driver who causes a restart‑time collision should face a minimum one‑race ban. "I haven’t seen a penalty like that for this type of mistake, and the FIA needs to be stricter," he argued.
"It costs a lot of money – all my parts are in the bin now – and it isn’t the kind of driving that belongs in Formula 1." Colapinto, for his part, was quick to apologise both on team radio and in post‑race interviews. He described the incident as a "big mistake" and expressed remorse to his team, to Gasly and to Norris.
"Cold brakes, cold tyres, locked up – I was completely out of control," he said. "I’m very sorry to Pierre and Lando and to everyone at the factory who worked hard to get us into the points." The stewards handed Colapinto a ten‑second time penalty for causing the collision. Because his car 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.
In addition, Colapinto already carries four penalty points on his super‑licence; a further twelve points within a rolling twelve‑month period would trigger an automatic race ban. The stewards chose not to add points for this incident, opting instead for the grid penalty. Norris’s criticism extended beyond the immediate crash.
He argued that a driver who cannot anticipate low grip and cold tyre conditions should not be competing at the sport’s highest level. "In Formula 1 you would expect drivers to understand that the grip will be low and tyre temperatures will be low," he said.
"When you see something like this, it tells you that maybe that driver shouldn’t be there." The fallout from the incident also impacted Alpine’s championship hopes. Prior to the crash, the team was poised to close the nine‑point gap to the Racing Bulls (formerly known as Red Bull) and climb into fifth place in the Constructors’ standings. After the double retirement, Alpine fell further behind, finishing the race 15 points adrift of the Bulls, who benefited from a late surge by Arvid Lindblad, who claimed seventh place.
Pierre Gasly, who had been on course for a strong points finish, expressed disappointment in a post‑race interview with Sky Sports F1. "It’s not easy. We had a very good weekend, one of the best race cars we’ve had this season, and we were keeping up with Lewis and Lando for most of the race," he said.
"We had a 14‑15‑second gap to the midfield, so there were many positives, but I’m still struggling to process the outcome. Losing both cars in the points and being outscored by the Bulls is a hard pill to swallow." Gasly also addressed the abusive social‑media reaction that followed the incident, describing the attacks on him and his family as "completely inappropriate." Both he and Colapinto have condemned the harassment directed at drivers by a minority of fans, emphasizing the need for respect within the sport.
When asked about his future partnership with Colapinto, Gasly replied, "It’s all about respect. As long as there is respect, everything is possible." Colapinto echoed the sentiment, saying the two have a good working relationship and will move forward together. Looking ahead, the Formula 1 calendar shifts to Malaysia for the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit, marking the first time the series has visited the venue since 2017.
Fans can watch the live broadcast on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract. The incident in Baku serves as a reminder that driver discipline and precise car control remain essential, especially on circuits where tyre temperatures drop quickly and the margin for error is razor‑thin.