Norris urges FIA to hand Colapinto a race ban after Baku crash
Formula 1 champion Lando Norris says FIA should have disqualified Franco Colapinto for one race following a multi-car crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Colapinto instead received a five-place grid penalty for the next race.
Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris has strongly criticized Franco Colapinto's driving during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, calling for race stewards to impose harsher penalties on drivers who cause serious collisions.
The incident occurred during the restart on lap 36 on the Baku street circuit, when Alpine driver Colapinto locked his cold front tyres and lost control entering the first corner, crashing into his teammate Pierre Gasly. Norris was also caught up in the collision, and the crash ended the race early for both Gasly and the McLaren driver.
Harsh words for Colapinto
Speaking after the race, an angry Norris said he was simply taken out of the race by another driver's carelessness. He argued that the FIA should start issuing disqualifications for this kind of reckless driving, noting that such incidents cost teams a great deal of money by destroying expensive car parts.
The British driver said Formula 1 should be a competition among the world's best drivers, and that when a driver causes a crash right after a restart, it shows that driver does not belong on the grid. In his view, such behaviour deserves at least a one-race disqualification.
FIA's decision
Colapinto admitted after the race that he had made a major mistake. However, race stewards ultimately handed the Argentine driver a five-place grid penalty for the next race rather than a disqualification.
