Lando Norris Says FIA Should Hand Franco Colapinto Race Ban Following Baku Crash

Lando Norris has stated that Franco Colapinto deserves at least a one-race ban for causing a multi-car crash at the Azerbaijan GP. The incident took place on a lap 36 restart in the streets of Baku, where Colapinto locked up his cold front tyres and collided into his Alpine team-mate Gasly at Turn 1, with Norris also collected in the process.

The collision eliminated both Gasly and Norris from the race, topping off a frustrating afternoon for the McLaren driver who lacked pace and had previously made an error at Turn 1. Expressing his anger after the restart clash, Norris argued that the FIA should be stricter and hand out bans for careless driving, noting that the crash resulted in heavy damage that ruined all his car parts.

Addressing the slippery conditions of the Baku circuit, Norris expressed that Formula 1 drivers are expected to anticipate low grip and reduced tyre temperatures. He asserted that causing a crash during a restart demonstrates driving that does not belong in Formula 1 and warrants at least a one-race suspension.

Following the event, Colapinto acknowledged his big mistake, explaining that he completely locked up on cold tyres and brakes and was entirely out of control. The Argentinian driver expressed deep disappointment over throwing away a point-scoring opportunity and offered apologies to his team, Pierre Gasly, the factory, and Norris.