BAKU.- The current world champion Formula 1the British Lando Norris (McLaren), which he had to abandon this Saturday in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after a wrong maneuver by the Argentine Franco Colapinto (Alpine), claimed to the International Automobile Federation (FIA) that the South American driver be suspended for at least one race.
On lap 36 of the race on the urban circuit of Bakuafter the intervention of the safety car, Colapinto attempted a daring maneuver by trying to infiltrate the inside of Turn 1, which turns 90 degrees, but he braked suddenly and too late, which blocked his wheels.
The Argentine’s car then lost control and hit the Frenchman’s car. Pierre Gaslyhis Alpine teammate, who in turn collided with Norris’s McLaren.
The three pilots had to abandon due to this accident.
“I haven’t seen (the slowed down image). They just took me out (of the race). The FIA should be stricter and start issuing suspensions for this type of situation,” Norris declared.
“It was a lack of prudence and this costs a lot of money. All my parts have gone to waste. The perpetrators should be suspended for that way of driving, which does not deserve to be in Formula 1,” he added, without hiding his great anger at what happened.
Colapinto was sanctioned by the stewards with a ten-second penalty this Saturday, but since he did not finish the race he will receive a five-place penalty on the starting grid of next week’s Grand Prix in Malaysia.
After the accident, Colapinto immediately recognized his mistake and publicly apologized to Gasly, his Alpine team and Norris.
Those words did not calm the Englishman, who continued to charge against the Argentine driver: “In F1, you expect there to be drivers who anticipate what happens. The grip was going to be weak, the temperature of the tires too, although it wasn’t that bad either. In F1 you face the best drivers in the world and when things like that happen, those people (those who make mistakes or recklessness) shouldn’t be there.”
“If you cause an accident at a time like this in the race, you should receive a suspension for at least one race,” he said.
Unrest in Alpine
Gasly and Colapinto were respectively in seventh and tenth position in the race before the action that led to the accident.
“I am very disappointed. This type of incident should not happen, especially when our two cars are well placed and can score points. I am sorry for the team and for Pierre, who has done an excellent job throughout the weekend. I also apologize to Lando and McLaren for having ruined their race,” declared the Alpine F1 boss. Flavio Briatore.
“I know that Franco has assumed full responsibility, as he should be (…) It was a very unfortunate maneuver by a pilot of his experience. I am going to take some time to think about it and evaluate the measures to take so that we can learn the lesson and prevent something like this from happening again,” said the veteran Italian leader.
Asked at a press conference about this accident, the first three of the race – the British winner George Russell, the dutch Max Verstappen and the french Isaac Hadjar– considered that such a sanction would be disproportionate.
“The driver is aware of what he has done and has apologized. It is a shame that so many drivers have been affected,” lamented Verstappen.
