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Norris Slams Colapinto After Azerbaijan Crash as McLaren Star Calls for Stricter Penalties Lando Norris was left furious after his Azerbaijan Grand Prix ended prematurely following a dramatic collision involving Alpine driver Franco Colapinto and his team-mate Pierre Gasly. Norris had been fighting for points in Baku when Colapinto locked up at Turn 1 during a Safety Car restart. The Argentine lost control and crashed into Gasly, with the Alpine then being pushed into Norris’s McLaren. All three drivers were forced out of the race. The incident came at a particularly frustrating moment for Norris, who had already endured a difficult race. The reigning world champion had struggled for pace and had slipped down the order before the collision brought his afternoon to an abrupt end. Speaking immediately after the race, Norris did not hide his anger. “At the end of the day, I just got taken out… just some drivers that shouldn’t be in F1, to be honest,” the McLaren driver said. Norris then went further when speaking to the media, arguing that the FIA should consider stronger penalties for incidents of this nature. The Briton suggested that Colapinto should receive a one-race ban after causing the crash during a restart, particularly because both Gasly and Norris had been in positions to score valuable points. Colapinto, however, immediately accepted responsibility for the mistake. The Alpine driver apologised to his team, Gasly and Norris, explaining that cold brakes and tyres contributed to his lock-up at the first corner. The consequences were significant for Alpine. Gasly had been running in seventh position while Colapinto was also inside the points, meaning the team had been on course for an important double points finish. Instead, both cars retired, costing Alpine valuable points in the constructors’ championship. Norris also paid a heavy price. His retirement ended a run of eight consecutive races in which he had scored points and further damaged his already slim hopes of challenging for another world championship. The FIA 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 the punishment during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. However, the controversy did not continue between the two drivers. Norris later apologised to Colapinto for his comments, admitting that he had been caught up in the heat of the moment. He acknowledged that his reaction had gone too far and said the pair had resolved the situation between themselves. Colapinto also revealed that he was surprised by Norris’s initial reaction, particularly because Norris had previously spoken publicly about the impact of online abuse directed at Formula 1 drivers. The Argentine described the Baku incident as one of the most difficult moments of his career but insisted that he had learned from the mistake. He also urged fans to avoid turning criticism of drivers into online abuse. For Norris, the incident was ultimately another frustrating chapter in a season in which small setbacks have continued to affect his championship ambitions. For Colapinto, it was a costly mistake that highlighted the fine margins involved in Formula 1. The young driver now has the opportunity to respond on track and demonstrate that the Baku incident was an isolated error rather than a sign of a wider problem. The controversy may have ended with an apology, but the crash served as a reminder of how quickly a single mistake at a Safety Car restart can destroy the races of several drivers at once.