Colapinto Gets Five-Place Sepang Grid Drop for Baku Pile-Up That Took Out Norris and Gasly

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is over, but one penalty from it will affect this weekend's race at Sepang. Alpine's Franco Colapinto has been given a five-place grid penalty for the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit (2–4 October). It's for the crash on a Safety Car restart in Baku that put himself, team-mate Pierre Gasly and McLaren's Lando Norris out of the race.

What the stewards decided

The crash happened on lap 36 of 51 at the first restart. The stewards said Colapinto was "wholly or predominantly to blame". In their words, he "braked too late and entered the corner on the inside at a speed which did not allow him to make the corner in a controlled manner". He ran wide into Gasly, who was then pushed into Norris.

The normal punishment would be a 10-second time penalty, but Colapinto had retired, so it became a grid drop for the next race. The stewards also refused the more lenient approach usually used for first-lap incidents. They said there was "no contribution from another driver" that would justify it.

Reactions

Colapinto apologised straight away. "Just a big sorry to all of them, to the factory, to Pierre of course," he said, adding: "I did a big mistake."

Gasly had been running in the points and was clearly disappointed. "I don't think I really have words," he said.

Norris was angrier. "I just got taken out… just some drivers that shouldn't be in F1," he said. PlanetF1 reported that Norris called for Colapinto to get a one-race ban.

Alpine team boss Flavio Briatore apologised to McLaren and to Gasly, and he criticised his own driver. He said Colapinto "braked far too late considering the context of the race and the Safety Car restart. It was a very poor move for a driver of his experience." Briatore said he wanted "to take time to reflect" on what to do next.

Alpine speaks out against online abuse

On Sunday, 27 September, Alpine released a statement condemning the online abuse that followed the crash. It said the abuse was aimed at Colapinto, media members and rival team staff. "Mistakes happen when racing at the limit and no matter the result or outcome, nobody should be subject to hateful or abusive comments," the team said. It added that it would keep working with F1 and the FIA on the problem.

What it means at Sepang

• Colapinto: He starts five places lower than where he qualifies on Saturday, 3 October. Qualifying runs 4pm–5pm Malaysia time.
• McLaren: Norris's retirement and Piastri's 13th place meant no points in Baku. Norris is now fourth in the standings on 186 points, 116 behind leader Kimi Antonelli.
• Alpine: Sixth in the Constructors' Championship with 68 points. Gasly lost a points finish in the crash.

Other drivers are also pinning their hopes on Malaysia. Williams driver Alex Albon, who crashed out, called Baku "a turning point" and said "we can explore this update more in Malaysia". Fernando Alonso, who retired with a problem on his Aston Martin, said: "Let's see if we can have a stronger weekend in Malaysia."

Key takeaways

• Colapinto has a five-place grid penalty for Sepang. His 10-second penalty was converted because he retired.
• The stewards found him "wholly or predominantly to blame" and did not apply first-lap leniency.
• Norris called for a race ban, and Briatore called it "a very poor move".
• Alpine has condemned the online abuse aimed at Colapinto, the media and rival team staff.

FAQ

Why did Colapinto get a grid penalty rather than a time penalty? He retired from the Baku race, so the 10-second time penalty couldn't be applied. It was changed to a five-place grid drop for the next race.

Which race does the penalty apply to? The Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, on 2–4 October 2026.

Was Colapinto banned? No. Norris called for a one-race ban, but the stewards gave a five-place grid drop.

Sources: Formula1.com, PlanetF1, Grande Prêmio