As RaceFans reports, Franco Colapinto has stepped forward to demand an end to the online abuse targeting his competitors and colleagues in Formula 1. In a video shared on social media, the driver addressed his fanbase directly to make it clear that hostile digital campaigns are damaging rather than helpful.
While acknowledging the passion and pride of his supporters when he scores points and performs well, Colapinto pointed out a dark side to the fandom. The abuse has frequently hit his fellow drivers, his team mates, mechanics, engineers, and the people he works with every single day.
We have to try to improve as a society, and to help me have a better performance, to help get my dream and my results, that is, to score points, I need you to help stop this, all of us together.
Both the FIA and Alpine issued statements in the last two months condemning the severe abuse that occurred following the Dutch, Spanish, and Azerbaijan grands prix. While neither statement explicitly named Colapinto's supporters, they identified specific victims including his team mate Pierre Gasly and FIA officials. Alpine stated last month that such behaviour has become a regular occurrence in recent races and cannot be condoned.
Tensions and flashpoints have steadily mounted throughout the season. Alpine issued an initial reaction to abuse from Colapinto's supporters following the Chinese Grand Prix after Esteban Ocon collided with him, while some fans also accused Alpine of sabotaging Colapinto and failing to provide him with the same equipment as Gasly. Further friction arrived with penalties for Colapinto failing to slow sufficiently for yellow flags at Zandvoort, a brief delay behind Gasly at the Madring, and a collision between the Alpine drivers and Lando Norris in Baku. The drama even reached Jack Doohan earlier in the year, who revealed he received death threats from individuals who wanted him out of the car after Colapinto joined Alpine in place of him early in the season following a 2024 debut with Williams.
“I know it makes you feel very proud when I do well, when I get points, me and the whole team, and I will always be very grateful for that,” Colapinto said in his message. “But there are times when we end up attacking other pilots, other colleagues, my team mates, my mechanics, my engineers, people I work with day by day.”
“I know they are thinking that they are defending me, but they are doing the opposite. They don’t help me. And I really want you to understand that this is what we have to change, all together,” he added. “We have to try to improve as a society, and to help me have a better performance, to help get my dream and my results, that is, to score points, I need you to help stop this, all of us together.”
