Lando Norris had a shocker at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He didn't finish the race after Franco Colapinto crashed into him during a safety car restart, destroying his rear wing. In the aftermath, Norris was fuming and called for a race ban to be handed down to the Williams driver. But Max Verstappen, his close mate and the defending world champion, wasn't having any of it.

More F1 news: Hamilton Refuses to Accept Ferrari Fourth Place Claims After Baku Struggle

When Verstappen was asked about Norris's demands in the post-race press conference, he shut them down straight away. The Dutch driver pointed out that Colapinto had locked up on the inside with minimal grip, making it an honest mistake rather than something worthy of a season-long ban. Verstappen explained that these things happen in racing and that as long as the driver responsible understands what they did and apologizes, you move on. A race ban, he said, was way too harsh.

This kind of maturity from Verstappen is exactly what you'd expect from a three-time world champion. But here's the thing that really drives the point home, Verstappen's been preaching what he practices. Back at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli crashed into his Red Bull while Verstappen was still fighting for the championship. It was a costly DNF for the reigning champ, yet he forgave Antonelli and acknowledged that mistakes are part of the sport.

More F1 news: Ferrari's Baku Reality Check Exposes Serious SF-26 Weaknesses Against Mercedes and Red Bull

Norris should probably take note. Yes, he got a rough deal at Baku, but Verstappen's approach shows real championship mentality. Sure, Verstappen had a wilder reputation earlier in his career, but he's grown into someone who understands the difference between intentional aggression and racing incidents. Colapinto's already facing consequences from Alpine internally, so Norris pushing for a race ban just comes across as sour grapes. When you're measuring yourself against a world champion, maybe adopt their grace rather than their old-school ruthlessness.

More F1 news: Hamilton Demands Ferrari Investigation After Baku Disaster

It's a subtle lesson in how to handle adversity at the top level of motorsport. Verstappen gets it, and his actions prove it time and time again.

Shop the collection: Max Verstappen merch  •  Lando Norris merch  •  Kimi Antonelli merch  •  Red Bull Racing merch  •  Williams Racing merch  •  McLaren merch  •  Mercedes-AMG merch