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Stewards penalize Franco Colapinto with Bahrain grid drop

By Drooid · Oct 1, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Colapinto Penalized

Franco Colapinto caused the Azerbaijan crash that eliminated teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren's Lando Norris.
Lando Norris demanded a one-race ban for Colapinto but later apologized, saying his remarks were made in the heat of the moment.
Race stewards imposed a 10-second penalty on Colapinto, converting it to a five-place grid drop for Bahrain.
Colapinto and Norris reconciled, confirming they remain friends heading to Bahrain.

Summary

Alpine Condemns Abuse

Alpine released a statement condemning online hate toward drivers after the Azerbaijan crash.
Alpine said abuse targets no single fan base and must be universally denounced.
Alpine pledged to work with the sport’s promoter, rights-holder and FIA to develop solutions against online abuse.
Pierre Gasly reported receiving threats against his family after briefly refusing to let Colapinto pass in Spain.

History

Historical Context

The FIA, founded in 1904, has repeatedly faced governance crises—from the 2005 United States GP tyre debacle to the 2009 Concorde Agreement that ended a threatened breakaway series. Those disputes spurred safety and conduct programs, such as the 2004 Institute for Motor Sport Safety and later digital abuse-reporting tools. Alpine’s recent pledge echoes this long-standing effort to curb harassment.

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Colapinto Penalized

Franco Colapinto caused the Azerbaijan crash that eliminated teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren's Lando Norris.
Lando Norris demanded a one-race ban for Colapinto but later apologized, saying his remarks were made in the heat of the moment.
Race stewards imposed a 10-second penalty on Colapinto, converting it to a five-place grid drop for Bahrain.
Colapinto and Norris reconciled, confirming they remain friends heading to Bahrain.

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