Lando Norris called for Franco Colapinto to be banned for at least one race after the Alpine driver caused a three-car collision during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 26.
Colapinto locked his tires while braking for Turn 1 after a Safety Car restart in Baku. The error knocked Colapinto, Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and Norris out of the race.
The stewards handed Colapinto a 10-second time penalty instead. Because he failed to finish, the punishment was expected to become a grid penalty at the next Grand Prix, rather than the suspension Norris demanded.
Norris calls for tougher penalties
Norris stated his view after the race, before seeing a replay of the incident.
“If you cause a crash on a restart like this, you should have at least a one-race ban.”
The McLaren driver also criticized how Formula 1 handles such offenses.
“I think the FIA should be more strict and start handing out bans for this kind of stuff.”
Norris pointed to the financial cost of the crash, which ended his race immediately.
“It costs a lot of money. all my parts are in the bin now.”
Three cars eliminated at Turn 1
The incident started when Colapinto locked up at Turn 1 on the restart and struck Gasly. Gasly was then sent into Norris, eliminating all three drivers from the Grand Prix.
Alpine lost both cars in one crash.
Before the contact, Alpine was on course for a double points finish. Gasly was seventh and Colapinto 10th at the restart, while Norris lost an opportunity to build on a season featuring wins in Hungary and the Netherlands.
The British driver won the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 26, finishing 70 laps in 1:39:56.180. He then won the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23, completing 72 laps in 2:04:44.859.
Colapinto apologizes for costly mistake
Colapinto apologized after the collision and accepted that a penalty was likely. He did not directly address Norris’s call for a race suspension.
The confirmed punishment from the Azerbaijan race was a 10-second penalty. Officials did not announce a race ban.
Norris’s comments therefore reflected the punishment he wanted and his call for stronger enforcement, rather than an official disciplinary ruling. He also spoke immediately after retiring, without having reviewed footage of the Turn 1 crash.
Russell wins chaotic Azerbaijan Grand Prix
George Russell won the 51-lap race for Mercedes in 1:38:02.143 after keeping Max Verstappen behind during the closing stages.
Colapinto’s penalty leaves the Alpine driver facing a grid sanction at the next Grand Prix. The stewards’ decision did not include the one-race ban Norris requested.
