Franco Colapinto Apologises to Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris After Baku F1 Crash

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Alpine driver Franco Colapinto caused a collision during a lap 36 restart on the streets of Baku. Entering Turn 1 on the low-grip inside line, Colapinto locked up his cold front tyres and brakes, colliding with the side of his team-mate Pierre Gasly and collecting McLaren driver Lando Norris. The crash knocked both Gasly and Norris out of the race and cost Alpine a major points haul, as both of its drivers were running in the top 10.

Following the incident, Norris called on the FIA to impose a race ban for careless driving. Meanwhile, a devastated Colapinto expressed deep regret and apologised profusely to his team, the factory, Gasly, and Norris. The Argentinian driver admitted he was completely out of control after locking up as soon as he touched the brake due to cold tyres and brakes.

Colapinto acknowledged that taking out a team-mate broke an unwritten rule, making the situation far worse than if it had only ruined his own race. He noted that he had spoken with Gasly, who was very upset, and stated that he expects to receive a penalty from the FIA race stewards.