Here's the thing about getting caught in the heat of the moment: it brings out words that simply do not reflect who you are. Lando Norris has opened up about the swift apology he sent to Franco Colapinto after a chaotic conclusion to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, admitting his immediate post-race remarks missed the mark entirely.
The drama unfolded at Turn 1 during the first Safety Car restart when Alpine driver Franco Colapinto suffered a lock-up and piled into his team mate, Pierre Gasly. That heavy contact sent the Frenchman skidding directly into the McLaren of Norris, ending the races of both Gasly and Norris on the spot while Colapinto limped back to the pits before ultimately retiring. The stewards handed the Argentinian driver a 10-second time penalty, which transformed into a five-place grid drop for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
We all mistakes – one of those things was me making the mistake last weekend. There's a level of things, and as a community we need to understand how we can make it better.
Speaking to the media right after the checkered flag, Norris let loose with some heavy criticism, stating that there were "some drivers that shouldn’t be in F1" and suggesting that Colapinto should face a ban. But the 26-year-old quickly backtracked, releasing a statement on Monday via social media to confirm he had reached out directly to the Alpine driver.
Catching up with reporters during media day in Sepang, Norris elaborated on why making things right with Colapinto was his absolute priority. "I've certainly leant on other drivers in the past for help in different situations and advice in different situations," the 13-time race winner said. "Not that I think this was necessarily that case at all – it was just me not saying the right things and saying some things that aren't a true reflection of me or what I really mean deep down. I spoke to him already on Sunday night as soon as I could, and of course I put the post out later in the week to apologise, to let everyone know that I did it because there was also the rest of the world that I felt like I owed the apology to."
Describing Colapinto as a good friend and a "very good guy" who always means well, Norris emphasized that the direct apology mattered more than public perception. Meanwhile, Alpine felt compelled to issue a statement condemning the wave of online hate and abuse directed at drivers following the Baku race, a toxic environment Norris acknowledged is difficult for anyone to navigate. "There's just a level of respect and humility that I think people should have," he noted. "We all mistakes – one of those things was me making the mistake last weekend. There's a level of things, and as a community we need to understand how we can make it better."
Now, attention shifts sharply to the Sepang International Circuit, where Norris hopes McLaren can turn the page. The MCL40 machine is expected to handle the venue better than it did the tight streets of Baku, provided the team can iron out the straight-line speed and power issues that made his previous weekend unnecessarily difficult. "I hope it's better than Baku – I expect it to be better than Baku," Norris said, maintaining belief that their package remains strong in key areas.
