Lando Norris, the reigning Formula 1 world champion, publicly expressed remorse to Franco Colapinto for the harsh remarks he made following the incident that eliminated both drivers from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The crash unfolded during a Safety Car restart in Baku when Colapinto, attempting to accelerate into Turn 1, locked his brakes and clipped the side of his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly. Gasly was then forced straight into the side of Norris’s McLaren, causing a chain‑reaction collision that ended the race for all three competitors.
In the immediate aftermath of the accident, Norris was candid on the podium and in post‑race interviews, stating, “There are some drivers who shouldn’t be in Formula 1,” and advocating for a one‑race suspension for anyone who initiates such dangerous incidents. His comments sparked a wave of criticism on social media, with many fans and pundits accusing him of being overly harsh toward the young Argentine driver. Colapinto, visibly upset, offered apologies to both Gasly and Norris during his own post‑race interview.
Nevertheless, the FIA stewards handed him a five‑place grid penalty for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, which this year is being staged at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. On Monday morning, Norris took to Instagram to address the controversy. He wrote: “Tough weekend overall in Baku and, of course, a disappointing and early end to the race. After the race, I sent Franco a message apologising for the comments I made that I simply should not have said.
I know better and emotions were running high but that is not an excuse – it was wrong of me.” He continued, “I’ve made mistakes of my own over the years and I know this is very much a part of racing and fighting on the limit. Me and Franco came to a good understanding, are still good friends and are both excited to get back racing this weekend.” The incident and Norris’s initial outburst ignited a fierce debate online. Some users condemned Colapinto’s driving, while others defended him and criticized Norris for his blunt language. Alpine responded on Sunday with a statement condemning the wave of online abuse directed at drivers, team personnel, and even the broader Formula 1 community after the Baku crash.
Alpine’s communiqué stressed that the abuse was not aimed at any single fan base or team, but was a universal problem that needed to be addressed. The team highlighted previous instances of harassment, noting that during the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, FIA stewards and Alpine staff were targeted after Colapinto received a drive‑through penalty for overtaking under a double‑yellow flag. Similarly, Pierre Gasly faced abuse after a brief on‑track dispute with Colapinto at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid, with threats even extending to his family. Colapinto himself commented after the Madrid incident that social‑media abuse is “never nice to get,” but he insisted that the blame should not be placed solely on his own supporters.
Alpine’s latest statement attempted to avoid alienating any particular group of fans, emphasizing that the condemnation of hateful comments applies to all followers of the sport. The statement read in part: “As a team, we feel it’s necessary to speak out once more about the hate and abuse online following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Not only aimed at one of our own drivers, but also members of the Formula 1 community, including media, and our racing counterparts who we respect, admire, and revel in competing against in the pinnacle of motorsport.
Mistakes happen when racing at the limit and no matter the result or outcome, nobody should be subject to hateful or abusive comments. Condemning abuse on social media is not aimed at any one fan base or the supporters of one team or driver; this is universal and should be called out and recognised by all fans of the sport.
As we have said in previous instances, we strongly condemn the reaction of some fans online and stand in solidarity with Formula One, the FIA, and other teams in wanting to stamp it out. It has become a regular occurrence in recent races and cannot be condoned." The controversy comes as Formula 1 prepares to return to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, with the Bahrain Grand Prix now scheduled at Sepang. Fans can watch live coverage on Sky Sports F1, with streaming options available via NOW without a long‑term contract. The episode serves as a reminder of the high emotions that accompany top‑level motorsport and the responsibility drivers and teams have to promote respect both on and off the track.