Franco Colapinto sparked controversy by comparing Lando Norris unfavorably to Max Verstappen in a post-Azerbaijan interview.

Franco Colapinto told ESPN Argentina that Lando Norris went too far with his criticism after their Azerbaijan crash, noting the irony that Norris previously campaigned against online hate. The Alpine driver said such comments are wrong from someone who talks about hate, especially in the heat of the moment.

Colapinto contrasted Norris's reaction with Max Verstappen's response when Kimi Antonelli collided with him at the Austrian Grand Prix last year. He praised Verstappen for accepting Antonelli's apology quickly and suggested they are different types of champions.

McLaren fans on Reddit criticized Colapinto for reigniting tensions after both drivers had already apologized and moved on from the incident. Many questioned why he brought Verstappen into the discussion when the collision did not involve the Red Bull driver.

The comments came despite Norris having already apologized twice for his initial outburst, once privately to Colapinto and once publicly on Instagram. Norris had called for race bans following the restart collision that eliminated him, Colapinto, and Pierre Gasly from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.