Lando Norris delivered a harsh assessment of Franco Colapinto following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, insisting that the Alpine driver lacks the standard required for Formula One. The collision, which occurred during a safety car restart, forced the defending champion to retire from eighth place and has left his title aspirations in ruins. There are some drivers who shouldn’t be in Formula One,” he said. That left Norris insistent Colapinto should face serious sanction.
The incident unfolded when Colapinto entered turn one with excessive speed, locking his tires well before the corner. The out-of-control vehicle collided with his teammate Pierre Gasly, triggering a chain reaction that resulted in Norris also being taken out of the race. The accident effectively ended the race for all three drivers. I just locked-up and then I was very out of control,” he said.
Reflecting on the crash, Norris expressed deep frustration with the quality of driving on the grid. He stated that certain competitors do not belong in Formula One and suggested that the FIA must take a more rigorous approach to penalties. According to Norris, causing a crash during a restart should warrant at least a one-race ban to deter such carelessness, noting that the incident destroyed expensive equipment and his own race weekend. “If you cause a crash on a restart like this, you should have at least a one-race ban,” he said. “The FIA should be stricter by starting to hand out bans for this kind of stuff.
The fallout is significant for McLaren, which introduced several new components to the car for the Baku race. With these parts now damaged, it remains uncertain whether the team can procure replacements in time for the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix in Bahrain. Norris currently trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 116 points, and although he remains mathematically eligible, the title is considered effectively out of reach with only eight rounds left on the calendar. Norris is now 116 points off the championship leader Kimi Antonelli with eight meetings remaining and while mathematically he is still in the hunt the title is surely gone.
Colapinto later issued an apology, admitting to a significant error that left him unable to maintain control of his car. The incident also proved costly for Alpine, which had been positioned for a double points finish. An visibly upset Pierre Gasly declined to elaborate on his feelings regarding the incident, simply stating he had no words for his teammate’s mistake.
In the aftermath, race stewards issued a 10-second penalty to Colapinto. Because he had already retired from the race, this penalty will be converted into a grid drop for the next round of the championship in Malaysia.
