Norris Demands Ban for Colapinto After Azerbaijan GP Crash

Lando Norris has called for Formula One rival Franco Colapinto to be banned from the sport following a collision during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The incident occurred on the first corner after a safety car restart on the Baku circuit.

Colapinto, driving for Alpine, made contact with his own teammate Pierre Gasly, which subsequently sent Gasly's car into Norris's McLaren, ending the British driver's race. Norris expressed his frustration, stating that such incidents suggest drivers who cause them "shouldn't be there" and that a ban of at least one race should be imposed.

"If you cause a crash on a restart like this, you should have at least a one-race ban," Norris said. "The FIA should be stricter. It is just careless. It costs a lot of money. All my parts are in the bin. It is not driving that deserves to be in Formula One."

Norris also commented on the conditions following a safety car period, noting that drivers should anticipate low grip and tire temperatures. He stated, "You would expect drivers could anticipate that the grip will be low and tyre temperatures are low... And they were not even that low."

Colapinto was penalized ten seconds during the race and later received a five-place grid drop for the upcoming Grand Prix in Malaysia. The incident has impacted Norris's championship aspirations, leaving him 116 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli with eight races remaining in the season. Despite the setback, Norris vowed to "just keep fighting."

However, not all drivers agreed with Norris's stance on penalties. Race winner George Russell suggested that a ban would be too harsh for such an incident, particularly on cold tires. "Bans should be reserved for deliberate acts of taking someone out," Russell commented.