Norris Owns His Baku Comments: “It Was Wrong of Me”

Lando Norris has revealed that he privately apologized to Franco Colapinto after Baku, acknowledging that his frustration did not excuse his post-race comments.

Lando Norris called for a race ban after the collision that ended his Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Now he has acknowledged that his own response crossed a line.

In an Instagram statement published Monday, September 28, the McLaren driver revealed that he had messaged Franco Colapinto after the race to apologize. He said the two had reached an understanding and remained friends.

No excuse for the comments

“I know better and emotions were running high but that is not an excuse, it was wrong of me,” Norris wrote.

He also acknowledged his own mistakes over the years and recognized that errors are part of racing at the limit. His statement made clear that he regretted what he had said, rather than simply explaining why he had been angry.

Monday marked the public disclosure of that apology. Norris did not specify exactly when he sent the private message, beyond saying it was after the race.

A costly mistake, followed by a different response

The incident happened at Turn 1 during Baku’s first Safety Car restart. Colapinto locked up and hit Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, whose car was pushed into Norris. All three retired.

In the immediate aftermath, Norris questioned whether some drivers belonged in Formula 1 and called for incidents like that to carry a race ban. Colapinto apologized to both drivers after the crash.

The stewards’ punishment was a five-place grid penalty for Colapinto’s next race, the Bahrain GP at Sepang in Malaysia.

The sporting consequence remains. But Norris’s latest statement changes the tone between the drivers: he has taken responsibility for his words, and says both are looking forward to racing again this weekend.