Norris apologizes to Colapinto for race ban demand

Lando Norris said he privately apologized to Franco Colapinto for demanding a race ban after their collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, acknowledging that his post-race comments were wrong. Norris said the two had reached an understanding and remained friends, though the supplied accounts do not include Colapinto’s response to the apology. The collision at the first Safety Car restart in Baku involved Colapinto, his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly and Norris, who was driving for McLaren. Colapinto locked up under braking at Turn 1 and hit Gasly, whose car then made contact with Norris. All three drivers were eliminated from the race. Reports differ on whether the incident occurred on lap 36; they consistently place it at the first Safety Car restart. Norris initially criticized Colapinto and said he should receive at least a one-race ban, also questioning whether the Argentine belonged in Formula 1. Speaking after the crash, Norris said he had not seen the incident, but argued that drivers should anticipate low grip and that a restart collision of that kind warranted a ban. The crash ended Norris’s race early and left him frustrated about the loss of his car’s parts.