Lando Norris apologized to Franco Colapinto on Instagram Monday for saying the Alpine driver shouldn't be in Formula 1
after Colapinto’s crash eliminated both of them, plus Pierre Gasly, at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Colapinto received a five-place grid penalty for Bahrain’s race at Sepang.
The crash happened on a Safety Car restart in Baku, when Colapinto’s cold tires locked up entering Turn 1. He speared into teammate Pierre Gasly, who was knocked into Norris’s McLaren. All three cars were terminally damaged, ending a race that had Alpine running well in the points on both cars.
Norris didn’t hold back afterward. Give him a ban. It’s quite simple
, he told BBC Radio 5 Live, adding that there are some drivers who shouldn’t be in Formula 1
. Speaking to reporters, including PlanetF1, he went further, saying the incident was careless from people
and that all my parts are in the bin now
.
Norris walks it back on Instagram
By Monday, the anger had cooled. Norris posted an Instagram story acknowledging he had already messaged Colapinto privately to apologize.
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. 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.
Lando Norris, McLaren driver
Colapinto’s own account: “cold brakes, cold tyres”
Colapinto never disputed responsibility. Speaking in the Baku media pen, he described losing control the moment he touched the brakes.
Just a big mistake. I locked up completely with cold tyres and cold brakes and was out of control completely.
Franco Colapinto, Alpine driver
He apologized separately to Gasly and to Norris, telling reporters, according to Yahoo Sports, Well, sorry to Lando as well, to be honest, not only Pierre. Sorry to everyone, it’s a big mistake, of course.
He called the situation more than disappointing
, noting he had broken the sport’s unwritten rule against taking out a teammate.
Briatore weighs Colapinto’s future at Alpine
Alpine’s frustration ran deepest at the top. Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore called Colapinto’s move a very poor move for a driver of his experience
and said he braked far too late considering the context of the race and the Safety Car restart
, according to Formula 1’s own reporting. Briatore said he wanted time to reflect on it and consider what course of action should be taken
.
The stakes go beyond one bad restart.
Colapinto’s penalty: five grid places at Sepang
Stewards gave Colapinto a 10-second penalty for causing the collision. Because he had already retired and couldn’t serve it during the race, it converted into a five-place grid drop for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, according to multiple outlets including Racingnews365.
The Race flagged something stewards did not do: award any penalty points. Under F1’s points system, 12 points trigger an automatic ban — the threshold that got Kevin Magnussen banned from the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Fifteen rounds into the 2026 season, not a single penalty point has gone to a driver for causing a collision; the outlet argued that leaves a gap in how F1 punishes drivers who wipe out multiple cars without intent.
Russell and rivals push back on the ban talk
Norris wasn’t speaking for the paddock. Race winner George Russell was asked directly whether a ban would be fair for Colapinto and said no.
Russell called a race ban too harsh
for that kind of mistake. Racingnews365 reported that Max Verstappen also pushed back on Norris’s original demand.
Online abuse prompts a statement from Alpine
The fallout spread beyond the drivers themselves. Sky Sports reported that Norris’s initial comments triggered a social media backlash, with some users attacking Colapinto over his driving and others attacking Norris for his remarks. Alpine issued a statement condemning the hate and abuse online following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
, saying it wasn’t aimed at any one fan base or the supporters of one team or driver
but at members of the Formula 1 community, including media, and to our racing counterparts
.
The Independent separately noted Colapinto’s fanbase has been tied to past incidents of online abuse directed at other drivers, including death threats.
Norris and Colapinto say they’ve moved past it personally. Whether Briatore has is still an open question heading into Sepang, where Colapinto starts five places back and Alpine’s championship math has already gotten harder.