F1 news: Lando Norris apologises to Franco Colapinto after Azerbaijan GP crash comments

Lando Norris has apologised to Franco Colapinto after making critical comments about the Alpine driver following their dramatic collision at the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver was left frustrated after Colapinto’s mistake at the first safety car restart caused a three-car collision involving Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly and Norris.

Norris subsequently called for Colapinto to receive a one-race ban and questioned whether some drivers should be competing in Formula 1.

However, the reigning world champion has since contacted Colapinto privately to apologise for his comments, admitting that his emotions got the better of him after the incident.

Baku chaos ends Norris’ race

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix proved to be a difficult afternoon for Norris, who started fifth on the grid but struggled for pace around the Baku City Circuit.

The McLaren driver initially gained a position before falling down the order as he battled with a lack of straight-line speed.

Norris’ race ultimately came to an end on the first safety car restart on lap 36.

Colapinto locked his brakes into Turn 1 and collided with his Alpine team-mate Gasly, and the impact sent Gasly into Norris’ McLaren, with all three drivers suffering enough damage to retire from the race.

Colapinto accepted responsibility for the incident afterwards, describing it as a “big mistake” and apologising to both Gasly and Norris.

The stewards subsequently handed Colapinto a 10-second penalty, which was converted into a five-place grid penalty for the next race because he was unable to serve it after retiring.

George Russell went on to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen finishing second and Isack Hadjar completing the podium.

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Norris’ explosive Colapinto comments

Norris was visibly frustrated after his race ended through no fault of his own.

Speaking immediately after the incident, the McLaren driver questioned Colapinto’s place on the Formula 1 grid.

Norris said to the press: “At the end of the day, I just got taken out… just some drivers that shouldn’t be in F1, to be honest.”

The reigning world champion also called for a stronger punishment from the FIA.

Norris argued that a driver responsible for an incident of that nature during a safety car restart should receive a one-race ban.

He said, reflecting on the Grand Prix: “I’ve not seen it, but if you cause a crash in a restart like this, you should have at least a one-race ban.”

Norris’ comments quickly attracted attention, with the severity of the proposed punishment becoming a major talking point after the race.

However, Russell, Verstappen and Hadjar all disagreed with the suggestion that Colapinto should receive a race ban.

Russell described the idea as too harsh, while Verstappen pointed to the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Hadjar also highlighted the difficulty of generating tyre temperature during a safety car restart and the low-grip conditions away from the racing line.

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Norris regrets post-race comments

Norris has now acknowledged that his comments went too far.

The McLaren driver said he contacted Colapinto privately to apologise for what he said immediately after the crash.

Norris explained that he was speaking in the heat of the moment after losing a potentially valuable result through an incident involving another driver.

He later admitted that his emotions had gotten the better of him and that he did not intend for his comments to become a personal attack on Colapinto.

The apology comes after nearly 48 hours of public discourse off the track, with Alpine also condemning online abuse directed towards drivers and others involved in the controversy.

The team stressed that mistakes are part of racing and called for healthy sporting rivalry rather than abusive behaviour online.

Colapinto had already taken responsibility for the crash, apologising to Gasly, Norris and the Alpine team after the race.

The Argentine driver explained that cold tyres and brakes contributed to his lock-up at Turn 1, leaving him unable to control the car before hitting Gasly.

Norris’ apology now appears to have brought the immediate dispute between the two drivers to a close, allowing attention to turn towards the next round of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

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