Colapinto praises Verstappen’s support after Azerbaijan collision

Franco Colapinto has praised Max Verstappen for supporting him after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix collision that brought criticism and a grid penalty.

GPBeat · Newsroom01 Oct 2026, 06:48 · 1 min

Colapinto braked too late at the first corner of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, in a collision that put Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris out of the race. He accepted responsibility and received a five-place grid penalty for the following race. RacingNews365 reported that Norris called for Colapinto to be suspended, then apologised, while Verstappen considered a suspension too harsh.

Speaking to reporters including RacingNews365 in Malaysia, Colapinto said Verstappen had been supportive of younger drivers because he had made mistakes himself. He described the four-time world champion as someone young drivers look up to and a hero to many.

Colapinto said people at Alpine had initially been angry after the collision, but that he had spoken extensively with Gasly and that matters between them were now settled.

Source context

Based on RacingNews365 Nederland’s 1 October account of Colapinto’s remarks to reporters in Malaysia.

Claims and supporting evidence 5

RacingNews365 reports that Franco Colapinto’s first-corner error at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix put Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris out of the race, and that Colapinto received a five-place grid penalty for the following race. Colapinto says he braked too late and accepted responsibility.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Baku collision and penalty After the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, ahead of the next race The collision and penalty are reported by the single supplied outlet; the admission is Colapinto’s statement as quoted there.

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RacingNews365 reports that Norris called for Colapinto to be suspended and later apologized, while Verstappen considered a suspension excessive and supported Colapinto.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Reactions to the collision After the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix These reactions are described by RacingNews365; no direct Norris or Verstappen statement was supplied.

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Speaking in Malaysia to reporters including RacingNews365, Alpine driver Colapinto praised Verstappen’s support for younger drivers and called him someone young drivers look up to and a hero to many. This is Colapinto’s opinion, not an independently measured assessment.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto’s assessment of Verstappen Remarks reported by RacingNews365 on 2026-10-01 The supplied article contains Dutch quotations from the encounter, not a full interview transcript. No other outlet’s account was supplied.

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Colapinto compared Verstappen’s response with his response to Kimi Antonelli after an incident in Austria. Colapinto said Antonelli’s error probably cost Verstappen the championship; the championship consequence remains Colapinto’s speculation.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto’s comparison with an earlier incident Retrospective comparison made in remarks reported on 2026-10-01 The earlier incident and its championship implications were not independently checked against another supplied source.

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Colapinto said people in the team were initially angry, praised team leader Flavio Briatore’s handling of the situation, and said he had spoken with teammate Gasly and that matters between them were resolved.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto’s account of Alpine’s response After the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, in remarks reported on 2026-10-01 This describes Colapinto’s account of team reactions and his relationship with Gasly; neither Briatore nor Gasly is quoted confirming it in the supplied article.

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This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.