Lando Norris apologises to Franco Colapinto over ban call after Baku crash

Lando Norris has apologised to Franco Colapinto for saying the Alpine driver should be banned after the crash that put both of them out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Norris said he messaged Colapinto after the race in Baku to apologise for comments he should not have made, according to an Instagram message reported by BBC. All three retired.

The crash happened at the safety-car restart — the moment the pace car pulls in and the bunched field accelerates back to full racing speed. Colapinto locked up, his front wheels seizing under braking so the car slid straight on, and hit his Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly. Gasly was then knocked into Norris. None of the three cars could continue.

Norris was angry straight afterwards. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he said of Colapinto: "Give him a ban. It's quite simple." He had also argued the Argentine should serve a one-race ban for the collision.

The message he shared later was very different in tone. Norris said he had contacted Colapinto directly after cooling down to say sorry. They were heat-of-the-moment words, and he admitted they went too far.

Colapinto has held his hands up. He described it as a "big mistake" and said he was "sorry", with apologies directed to Gasly, to Norris and to the Alpine team for taking out both of its cars in one move, as reported by Formula 1.

The stewards blamed Colapinto for causing the collision. They gave him a 10-second penalty, which was converted into a five-place grid drop for his next race because he had already retired — meaning he will start five places lower than where he qualifies.

Alpine condemned the online abuse aimed at its driver after Baku. Team chief Flavio Briatore was left to decide on any further course of action within the team, as reported by Sky Sports.

For fans, this is a familiar racing story. One locked wheel, three ruined races, and a flash of anger on the radio and in the interviews. Norris, the newly crowned world champion, spoke in fury. Then he stepped back. The apology does not change the result or wipe out the penalty, but it draws a line under a bruising day for McLaren and Alpine alike.