Franco Colapinto, driver for the Alpine team, has strongly spoken out against the online abuse he has suffered from some Argentine fans, following a series of incidents during the Formula 1 season.
After the races in Zandvoort, Madrid, and Baku, hostile comments have been directed at the FIA stewards team, his teammate Pierre Gasly, and other drivers like Lando Norris. This behavior has been a constant throughout the 2026 season, prompting Alpine to publish statements in an attempt to curb the controversy.
On previous occasions, Colapinto had been cautious in his discourse, describing the situation as ‘not pleasant,’ but recently he has been more forceful in his statements. He acknowledged that the negative comments do not come solely from his compatriots, but from a wide range of fans of other nationalities. ‘The truth is that I receive a lot of criticism,’ he said, highlighting that these come from many places and are not exclusively Argentine.
In a video posted on Instagram, Colapinto has called out to his fans, stating that passion should not turn into attacks. ‘Sometimes, you go too far. Instead of supporting me, you end up criticizing people, teammates, my team, and the people who work with me every day.’ Thus, he has requested that this behavior cease, as ‘you are not helping me with my future.’
Moreover, the young Argentine driver expressed his gratitude to the supporters who have backed him since the beginning of his career. Currently, Colapinto is in twelfth place in the season standings, with a total of 27 points, while Gasly is in tenth place with 41 points.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
