Flavio Briatore expresses regret to Lando Norris following the collision at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Alpine's Flavio Briatore has expressed his regret to Lando Norris and McLaren following the incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix that concluded the race for the 2025 Formula 1 champion.
The incident occurred during a safety car restart in Baku when Franco Colapinto lost control on cold tyres heading into Turn 1 and collided with his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly. The impact sent the French driver into the path of Norris, resulting in the elimination of all three competitors from the race.
In a statement on Instagram, Briatore described Colapinto's maneuver as "very poor" while extending his apologies to Norris and McLaren.
"I’m disheartened by the result of the Azerbaijan GP, knowing we forfeited crucial points," he noted. "I sincerely apologize to the team and Pierre… I also extend my apologies to Lando and McLaren for spoiling their race.
"I acknowledge that Franco has accepted full accountability for this, as he rightfully should. We must now focus on moving forward and ensure that incidents like this do not recur."
Colapinto took full accountability for the incident after the race. "Yes, absolutely. I think it’s a big mistake for the entire team, not just Pierre," the 23-year-old driver shared with Sky Sports F1 when asked if he would apologize to the team. "So, a big, big apology to Pierre, and to everyone at the factory who has worked tirelessly.
"We lost a significant position that we had with both cars in the points. It’s very disappointing. So, yes, a huge, huge apology. It was a major error. It was just, yeah, cold brakes, cold tyres. I locked up and was completely out of control.
"So, unfortunately, I took out both Pierre and Lando. But, my sincere apologies to both."
Attention now turns to the Bahrain Grand Prix, taking place at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia from 2-4 October.
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