- McLaren driver Lando Norris has publicly apologised to Franco Colapinto via Instagram after initially calling for the Alpine driver to be banned from Formula 1 following a multi-car crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
- The collision occurred during a safety car restart when Colapinto smashed into his teammate Pierre Gasly, who then struck Norris, resulting in early race retirements for all three drivers.
- Following his initial outburst, Norris faced a barrage of online abuse from Argentine fans and criticism from public figures, prompting him to contact Colapinto privately to admit his emotional comments were wrong.
- Colapinto received a five-place grid penalty for the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix but accepted Norris's apology, with both drivers confirming they remain good friends ahead of the next race.
- Alpine issued a statement strongly condemning the online hate directed at Norris and other F1 figures, with de facto team boss Flavio Briatore threatening to restrict Argentine media access if the toxicity persists.
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