Here’s the thing about modern racing: the noise outside the cockpit can sometimes turn plain ugly. As Autosport reports, Franco Colapinto has spent much of the 2026 Formula 1 season repeatedly speaking out against online toxicity, but the Alpine driver finally felt pushed to go a step further following the Singapore Grand Prix.
After that weekend, the 23-year-old recorded a direct video message for his supporters. While he made it clear he values genuine backing, he emphasized that the darker side of social media does nothing to help anyone race better.
“First of all, I've always been very grateful for all the fans supporting me,” Colapinto stated ahead of the United States Grand Prix. “But I think in every sport and fan base, it's got a bad side as well, the hate side of people putting bad comments and not helping athletes perform at their best. To me, it crossed a few lines lately.”
That crossing of lines wasn't just about general internet vitriol directed at rival drivers. According to Colapinto, the abuse actually hit hardest closer to home, with his own mechanics and engineers bearing the brunt of the digital attacks. When a qualifying session goes sideways and adjustments like front wing changes fail to yield the desired result, these garage crew members are wrongfully blamed by toxic online accounts.
“Especially my mechanics got a lot of hate,” Colapinto revealed. “My engineers as well, people from my team that want me to do well and that help me to perform. I'm working with them daily and seeing them getting these kind of messages, it just hurts me in general.”
While Alpine has reportedly stepped in to shield staff—advising team members to lock down their personal social media profiles and scrub any team logos from their pages—that defensive measure fails to solve the root disease. Colapinto notes that the issue stretches far beyond the motorsport paddock, pointing out that figures like Max have also been forced to speak out against a wider societal plague affecting athletes, artists, and actors alike.
Thankfully, the driver himself manages to tune most of the noise out. But because others aren't so fortunate, he felt compelled to use his platform one more time. Let's hope the message finally gets through.
