Franco Colapinto responds to Lando Norris ban calls after Baku restart collision
Franco Colapinto has responded to Lando Norris’ call for him to be banned from Formula 1, after the pair collided at the first safety car restart in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Colapinto locked up at Turn 1 in Baku, taking out Pierre Gasly and eliminating Norris in the same incident. The Franco Colapinto Norris ban row dominated the paddock after the race, with Norris telling reporters the Argentine is a driver “that shouldn’t be in Formula 1”.
Colapinto didn’t dodge the criticism. He fronted up to broadcasters and written press within minutes of climbing out of his car, working through what had gone wrong and who he owed an apology to.
Colapinto apologises to Sky F1 and written media following Turn 1 mistake
Speaking to Sky F1, Colapinto said: “Just sorry to the team, to Pierre. It was just a big, big mistake.” He went further with written media in the paddock, saying: “So, very sad and disappointed. It was a big mistake, cold brakes, cold tyres and I was completely out of control. Unfortunately, I took Pierre out, and Lando of course. But sorry to both.”
Asked about Norris’ comments directly, Colapinto did not push back. He said: “Well, sorry to Lando as well, to be honest, not only Pierre.” He also told written media: “Sorry to everyone, it’s a big mistake, of course,” before explaining the mechanics of the crash: “I just locked up and then I was very out of control. I couldn’t do a lot. As soon as I touched the brake, I locked up and lost a lot.”
Colapinto also flagged the wider cost to Alpine. “So, really sorry to Pierre and everyone in the factory that has been working really hard. We lost a lot of… well, we were with both cars in the points,” he said to Sky F1.
Pierre Gasly left processing lost double points finish for Alpine
Gasly needed a moment before he could put the afternoon into words. “I mean, I’m trying to find my words,” he told reporters after the race. Alpine had looked strong all weekend, and Gasly was reluctant to let that get lost in the fallout. “It’s not easy. We did a very good weekend and the car was one of the best race cars we’ve had this season. And the pace was great, keeping up with Lewis and Lando for most of the race,” he said, adding that Alpine had “a 14 or 15-second gap to the midfield.”
Even so, the result stung. “But, I’m still struggling to process the outcome and the fact that we had both cars in the points, and in the end we got outscored by Racing Bulls by a lot of points,” Gasly said. He tried to stay level about it: “Not an ideal day, but I’m sure we’re going to move on from it. Unfortunately, we’ve lost out today but hopefully we can make it up to the end of the year.”
Asked whether he and his teammate were still getting along, Gasly kept his answer simple. “Respect. It’s all about respect. As long as there is respect, everything is possible,” he said. It’s a measured response, in our view, given the abuse from Colapinto fans that has followed the incident, and it fits a driver keen to move past the row rather than add to it.
Penalty adjusted to grid drop for upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix
Colapinto’s on-track punishment has also shifted. The 10-second time penalty he picked up in Baku has been converted into a five-place grid drop, to be served at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. It comes as Colapinto also works against an Alpine summer deadline over his long-term future at the team.
Norris’ call for a ban has not resulted in any action beyond the stewards’ revised penalty. The Franco Colapinto Norris ban debate has still put fresh scrutiny on a driver who now must serve a grid penalty before he gets the chance to put things right on track. Full detail on the stewards’ verdict and Colapinto’s explanation is covered in the original Crash.net report.
