Lando Norris has demanded the FIA impose a ban on Alpine driver Franco Colapinto following a multi-car crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix restart that eliminated three competitors from the race.
The incident occurred when Colapinto locked his brakes at the restart, triggering a chain-reaction collision that took out his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Norris. All three drivers were forced to retire from the event, with Colapinto receiving a 10-second penalty that will be converted into a grid drop for the next race.
Strong Words from Norris
The world champion was unsparing in his assessment of the Argentine rookie’s actions. “Give him a ban. It’s quite simple,” Norris stated, making clear his frustration with the severity of the incident and its consequences for multiple competitors.
The Crash’s Impact
The restart-triggered collision proved costly for all three teams involved. Gasly, competing for Alpine alongside Colapinto, suffered immediate retirement along with Norris, whose McLaren hopes of championship points evaporated in the crash. Colapinto’s braking error demonstrated the high stakes of restarts in Formula 1, where precision and racecraft are paramount.
The FIA’s decision to hand Colapinto a 10-second penalty with a grid drop conversion was deemed insufficient by Norris, who felt the magnitude of the mistake—eliminating three drivers simultaneously—warranted a more severe sanction. The incident highlighted ongoing debates within Formula 1 about appropriate punishments for driver errors that result in substantial collateral damage during crucial moments in races.