Franco Colapinto apologizes for incident with Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris

Pulse Sports Team 16:33 - 26 September 2026

Franco Colapinto has apologized to his Alpine teammate, Pierre Gasly, and McLaren's Lando Norris for taking them out of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

During a safety car restart triggered by Alex Albon's crash, and with both Alpine cars running in the points, Colapinto was on the inside line for Turn 1. However, he locked up heavily and found himself "completely out of control" as the pack headed into the corner's tightest point.

As the drivers ahead began to turn in, the Argentinian collided with his teammate Gasly and reigning champion Norris, before limping back to the pits to retire.

After the race, Norris called for a race ban for drivers who commit such acts. The stewards handed Colapinto a 10-second time penalty, which will likely be converted into a grid penalty for the Bahrain Grand Prix since he was unable to serve it.

Reflecting on the incident, Colapinto described the events and how he lost control of his car.

"It's a big mistake. I completely locked the tyres and the brakes, and I was completely out of control," Colapinto told the media.

"There's not much more to say than to apologize to the team and, of course, to Pierre. The team works really hard to score points, and I threw it all away with one big mistake, so I feel sad for the team."

"Of course, the most disappointing thing is that I took out my teammate. That's the hardest part. If I make a mistake and it only affects me, it's a lesson I can learn, but when it affects the other car, it's serious."

"It's a big mistake, I take full responsibility for it. I have to learn from it, accept it, and hopefully, we can keep working. I spoke with Pierre, he came back and, of course, he's very upset."

Regarding Norris's call for a penalty, the Alpine driver once again apologized.