World champion Lando Norris has urged Formula 1 authorities to ban Alpine driver Franco Colapinto after a chaotic incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix ended both their races. The accident occurred during a restart when Colapinto locked his brakes and lost control, slaming into team-mate Pierre Gasly before colliding with Norris.
The chain-reaction collision left debris scattered across the Baku circuit and forced all three cars into retirement. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Norris was unequivocal in his demands: “Give him a ban. It’s quite simple.”
Colapinto acknowledged the error, stating, “I can be sorry to everyone. It’s been a big mistake, of course. I just locked up and then I was very out of control.” However, Norris argued that the governing body, the FIA, needs to impose stricter penalties for such careless driving, which he noted causes significant financial damage through destroyed parts.
“The FIA should be more strict and start handing out bans for this kind of stuff,” Norris said. “It costs a lot of money. All my parts are in the bin now, so people should just get banned for this kind of driving. They don’t deserve to be in Formula 1. If you cause a crash on a restart like this, yeah, you should have at least a one-race ban.”
While Colapinto received a 10-second time penalty during the race, it will be converted into a grid drop for his next start due to his retirement. The penalty is expected to be approximately five places at the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix, though this has not been officially confirmed.
The incident was particularly costly for Alpine, as both drivers were running in points-scoring positions—seventh and 10th—before the crash. Adding to the disappointment, Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad finished seventh, extending Alpine’s deficit in the battle for fifth place in the constructors’ championship to 15 points.
French driver Pierre Gasly expressed his frustration, saying he was “crushed” by the outcome after what had been a strong weekend. Meanwhile, a McLaren spokesperson indicated it was too early to determine whether Norris would be able to use the upgraded parts the team introduced in Baku at the next race in Malaysia.
I wonder if Colapinto will bounce back mentally for Bahrain? Tough break for him.
Alpine really shot themselves in the foot there. Two points finishes gone in one second.
Norris is so emotional right now. Maybe too emotional. It was just an error.
A ban seems harsh for a rookie mistake, but the financial impact is real.