Alpine has decided not to impose any internal sporting punishment on Franco Colapinto following his controversial crash in Azerbaijan, despite Lando Norris initially calling for the Argentinian to receive a race ban.
Colapinto revealed before the Malaysian Grand Prix that Alpine never seriously considered taking sporting action against him after his Baku accident, which ended the races of both himself and Norris.
“Not really,” the 23-year-old replied when asked whether the team had discussed consequences beyond the official FIA penalty.
The incident had triggered considerable criticism, with McLaren driver Norris initially arguing that Colapinto should be banned from the following race.
Colapinto says Alpine has moved on from Baku
Colapinto confirmed that he had spoken directly with Alpine executive Flavio Briatore and teammate Pierre Gasly after the incident.
Gasly was also eliminated from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as a result of the crash, making the incident particularly costly for Alpine.
“I went straight to him after the race, and I was at the factory right after to prepare for the race here. Nothing has changed in that regard. We plan for the future together, and that has never changed either,” Colapinto explained.
The Alpine driver said the team had instead focused on reviewing what happened and ensuring the lessons were carried forward.
“As a team, we’re all focused on the same thing. We’ve reviewed everything and learned from it. For all of us, that’s already in the past, and we’re looking ahead.”
That suggests Alpine opted for an internal review rather than adding a separate sporting sanction to the penalty imposed by Formula 1’s race stewards.
Briatore had previously left the door open
The situation initially appeared less certain immediately after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Briatore had indicated that Alpine could consider taking measures against Colapinto following the crash.
“I want to take my time to think about it and consider what measures should be taken so that we can learn from this and avoid such a situation in the future,” Briatore said at the time.
Those comments left open the possibility of an additional team-imposed consequence for Colapinto.
However, by the time the paddock reached Malaysia, Colapinto made clear that no such sporting punishment had been discussed with him.
The team instead appears to have treated the incident as something to learn from while maintaining its existing plans for the remainder of the season.
Norris withdrew his call for a race ban
Norris had been among the strongest critics of the incident immediately after the crash.
The McLaren driver, whose own Azerbaijan race was also ended by the collision, initially called for Colapinto to be handed a race ban.
Norris subsequently softened his position and apologised to the Alpine driver after acknowledging that his initial reaction had been heavily influenced by the emotions of the moment.
“I know better, and emotions ran high – but that’s no excuse. My behavior was wrong,” Norris wrote on Instagram.
“I too have made mistakes over the years, and I know that’s part of racing and fighting at the limit.”
The comments effectively closed the public dispute between the two drivers, with Norris recognising that mistakes are an unavoidable part of competing at the limit in Formula 1.
FIA penalty remains in place
Although Alpine decided against imposing its own sporting punishment, Colapinto did not escape consequences altogether.
The Formula 1 race stewards handed the Argentine a five-place grid penalty for the Malaysian Grand Prix as a result of the Azerbaijan incident.
That official penalty remained separate from any action Alpine could have chosen to take internally.
With Colapinto now confirming that Alpine has moved on from the incident, the focus within the team has shifted towards the remaining races and avoiding a repeat of the costly Baku mistake.
For Alpine, the episode appears to have been settled through review and discussion rather than an additional punishment for its driver.
Would you like to see more TJ13 Formula 1 coverage? Add us to your favourites list on Google to receive trusted F1 news.
Craig Alderson is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Craig oversees newsroom operations and coordinates editorial output across the site. With a background in online sports reporting and motorsport magazine editing, he plays a key role in maintaining consistency, speed, and accuracy in TJ13’s coverage.
During race weekends, Craig acts as desk lead, directing contributors, prioritising breaking stories, and ensuring timely publication across a fast-moving news cycle.
Craig’s work focuses heavily on real-time developments in the paddock, including team updates, regulatory decisions, and emerging controversies. This role requires a detailed understanding of Formula 1’s operational flow, from practice sessions through to race-day strategy and post-race fallout.
With experience managing editorial teams, Craig ensures that TJ13 delivers structured, reliable coverage while maintaining the site’s distinctive voice.
Craig has a particular interest in how information moves within the paddock environment, and how rapidly developing stories can be accurately translated into clear, accessible reporting for readers.
It was ridiculous call from Norris and I’m very pleased to read that Briatore decided NOT to add further punishment.