Lando Norris has issued an apology to Franco Colapinto following the British driver’s initial call for the Argentine to receive a race ban after a collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on September 26. The incident involved Colapinto crashing into his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly during a safety car restart, which subsequently caused Gasly’s car to collide with Norris’s McLaren. All three drivers were forced to retire from the race as a result.

Norris, who is the reigning world champion, had expressed strong criticism of Colapinto’s driving immediately after the race. He described the incident as "careless" and suggested that Colapinto, who had misjudged his braking into the first corner, did not deserve to be in Formula One. Norris argued the FIA should impose stricter penalties on such mistakes, stating that Colapinto should have received at least a one-race ban. “It costs a lot of money, all my parts are in the bin now,” Norris remarked, underlining the financial and competitive impact of the crash.

Colapinto accepted responsibility for the collision and issued an apology to both Gasly and Norris, characterizing his error as a result of cold brakes and tires after the safety car restart. The stewards penalized Colapinto with a 10-second time penalty and a five-place grid drop for the next round in Malaysia.

Following backlash and controversy stemming from his harsh remarks, Norris reached out to Colapinto with a message of apology. In a statement posted on social media, Norris acknowledged that his comments were made in the heat of the moment and said they were inappropriate. “I know better and emotions were running high but that is not an excuse, it was wrong of me,” he wrote. He also pointed out that mistakes are part of racing and noted that he and Colapinto remain on good terms. Both drivers are reportedly looking forward to competing again at the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix.

Norris’s retirement in Baku has significant implications for his championship hopes. He now trails the current leader, Kimi Antonelli, by 116 points with eight races remaining in the season. Despite the disappointment, Norris emphasized the competitive nature of Formula One and the challenges of racing at the limit.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was ultimately won by Mercedes’ George Russell, who held off a late challenge from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to secure his third victory of the season.