Lando Norris has stepped back from his harsh criticism of Franco Colapinto following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, admitting that he said things he should not have said in the immediate aftermath of the Baku race.
The reigning world champion had reacted strongly after Franco Colapinto completely misjudged his braking into Turn 1 at the first restart following a Safety Car period, triggering a multi-car incident involving Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris.
Lando Norris retracts call for Franco Colapinto race ban
Immediately after the Azerbaijan GP, the McLaren driver argued that an error of that nature should result in a one-race suspension. George Russell, Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar all considered that punishment excessive when they were asked about Lando Norris’s comments during the post-race press conference.
The criticism then sparked another social-media storm, with supporters of Franco Colapinto flooding Lando Norris’s profiles with insults after the British driver had criticised the Argentine.
Lando Norris has now used social media himself to formally step back from his initial reaction, withdrawing the comments he made in the heat of the moment and revealing that he had also contacted Franco Colapinto privately.
Lando Norris apologises directly to Franco Colapinto
“At the end of the race I sent Colapinto a message apologising for the comments I made in the heat of the moment,” Lando Norris wrote on Instagram. “I said things I shouldn’t have said. I know you can be very frustrated in the heat of the moment and I simply had to remember not to speak instinctively.”
“I’ve made plenty of mistakes myself and I know very well that when you’re racing on the limit, accidents can happen. We’ve cleared things up and we’re friends just like before, and we’re looking forward to racing again this weekend.”
The apology represents a clear change in tone from Lando Norris’s immediate post-race reaction. While the Turn 1 incident had initially prompted the McLaren driver to call for a suspension, Lando Norris has now acknowledged his own past mistakes and accepted that accidents can occur when Formula 1 drivers are competing at the limit.
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