Norris apology to Colapinto follows shocking 1-race ban call

Dustin Judge
McLaren driver Lando Norris is introduced before the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix; the Norris apology followed the 2026 Baku crash

Lando Norris apologized to Franco Colapinto on Monday, Sept. 28, for calling for a race ban after the Alpine driver triggered a three-car crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Norris apology, posted on Instagram, came after the reigning Formula 1 world champion’s comments drew a wave of online abuse, Sky Sports reported.

Alpine had already condemned the abuse in a statement the day after the race, before the Norris apology. The team said such abuse “has become a regular occurrence in recent races and cannot be condoned,” RACER reported. Alpine said it would work with Formula 1, the FIA and other teams to address it and “encourage healthy sporting rivalry.”

The Baku crash and Norris’ ban call

The incident happened on a safety car restart in Saturday’s race in Baku. Colapinto locked his brakes heading into Turn 1 and hit his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, whose car was pushed into Norris’ McLaren. Gasly and Norris were both out on the spot, according to Reuters.

Right after the race, Norris said, “If you cause a crash on a restart like this, you should have at least a one-race ban.” He also said, “It is not driving that deserves to be in Formula One,” per Reuters. Colapinto took responsibility and apologized to Gasly and Norris in his post-race interviews, Sky Sports reported.

What the Norris apology said

In his Instagram post, Norris said he messaged Colapinto after the race “apologising for the comments I made that I simply should not have said,” according to Sky Sports.

“I know better and emotions were running high but that is not an excuse, it was wrong of me,” Norris wrote. He added that the two “came to a good understanding” and are “still good friends.”

Before the Norris apology, the McLaren driver faced a flood of abuse on social media, much of it from Colapinto’s supporters, ESPN reported. Alpine stressed that “nobody should be subject to hateful or abusive comments.”

A pattern of online abuse

The Norris apology did not end the wider debate over online abuse in F1. Baku was not the first flashpoint involving Colapinto this season. After he received a drive-through penalty for passing Yuki Tsunoda under double yellow flags at the Dutch Grand Prix in August, the FIA said its stewards were targeted with abuse, PlanetF1 reported.

Gasly also said he and his family received “disturbing” abuse after a team-orders dispute with Colapinto at the Spanish Grand Prix, Crash.net reported.

Alpine driver Franco Colapinto during qualifying at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix; he received the Norris apology after Baku
Franco Colapinto in qualifying at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix. Photo: Liauzh / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

What’s next

With the Norris apology made, both drivers turn to the next race. Colapinto received a 10-second penalty in Baku that converts to a five-place grid penalty for the next race, the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is being held at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia this weekend, Sky Sports reported.

Norris trails championship leader Kimi Antonelli by 116 points with 208 points still available over the final eight rounds, according to ESPN. For more, see our Formula 1 coverage, including how Lewis Hamilton backed Fred Vasseur amid Ferrari’s slump.

Reporting from Sky Sports, ESPN, Reuters and RACER contributed to this story.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.