“A big mistake” – Devastated Franco Colapinto apologises to Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris after Baku F1 crash

Franco Colapinto Takes Responsibility for Azerbaijan GP Crash

Alpine driver Franco Colapinto apologised after a mistake at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix caused a multi-car incident involving team-mate Pierre Gasly and McLaren driver Lando Norris. The collision occurred on lap 36 of the Baku race restart, when Colapinto locked his cold front tyres on the low-grip inside line approaching Turn 1.

Colapinto’s Alpine struck the side of Gasly’s car, with Norris also caught up in the incident. Both Alpine drivers had been running inside the points-scoring positions, meaning the crash cost the team a potentially significant points haul. For Norris, the incident ended a frustrating afternoon and prompted him to call for careless driving to be punished with a one-race ban.

Colapinto Apologises to Alpine, Gasly and Norris

Colapinto said he was devastated by the damage caused and apologised to Alpine, Gasly, Norris and the team’s factory staff.

“Just a big mistake,’ the Argentinian said. “I locked up completely with cold tyres and cold brakes and was out of control completely. So, not a lot to say more than sorry to the team, to Pierre of course, to all the factory.

“We’ve been working really hard to score points and I threw it away with that big mistake. So, very sad for the team. Of course, a big disappointment.”
“We spoke to Pierre, he came back and of course he’s very upset, but I will try to talk to him again.”

Asked about Norris’ call for a one-race ban, Colapinto extended his apology to the McLaren driver and said the car became uncontrollable as soon as he applied the brakes.

“Well, sorry to Lando as well, to be honest, not only Pierre. Sorry to everyone, it’s a big mistake, of course. I just locked up and then I was very out of control. I couldn’t do a lot. As soon as I touched the brake, I locked up and lost a lot.”

Alpine Driver Expects FIA Penalty

Colapinto acknowledged that taking out his own team-mate made the error particularly serious. He said a mistake affecting only his own car would have been an opportunity to learn from the incident, but the impact on Gasly and the wider Alpine result made the consequences far worse.

“It is more than disappointing to take out your team-mate. That’s the biggest part of it,” he added.
“If it only affected me, it would be okay to learn, but when it affects the other car as well, it’s even worse. I do expect to get something, of course. I don’t know, I’m not a steward, so I’ll leave it.”

Why This Matters

The Azerbaijan GP crash had immediate consequences for Alpine because both Gasly and Colapinto had been positioned to score points before the restart incident. It also intensified scrutiny of Colapinto’s driving after Norris argued that careless incidents should carry a race ban. The FIA race stewards were expected to assess the collision and determine whether further action was warranted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened between Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly?

On the lap 36 restart at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Colapinto locked his cold front tyres approaching Turn 1 and collided with team-mate Pierre Gasly. Lando Norris was also collected in the incident.

Why did the crash hurt Alpine’s result?

Gasly and Colapinto were both inside the top 10 before the collision, so the incident ended Alpine’s chance of securing a major points haul.

Did Franco Colapinto expect a penalty?

Yes. Colapinto said he expected the FIA race stewards to take action, although he added that the final decision was not his to make.