Alpine has issued a strong statement condemning online abuse directed at members of the Formula 1 community following Franco Colapinto’s crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Colapinto lost control at a safety car restart in Baku, triggering a pile-up that eliminated both teammate Pierre Gasly and reigning champion Lando Norris from the race.
Norris was visibly frustrated after the incident and, before reviewing footage, suggested whoever caused the crash deserved “at least a one-race ban.”
Although Norris did not refer to Colapinto by name, his comments sparked a fresh wave of abusive messages on social media, targeting Norris, Gasly, and others in the paddock.
Alpine responded swiftly with a formal statement, insisting that racing mistakes do not justify hateful behaviour toward anyone involved in the sport.
“Mistakes happen when racing at the limit and no matter the result or outcome, nobody should be subject to hateful or abusive comments,” the team said in their statement released on Sunday.
The team was careful to stress that their condemnation was not directed at any single fanbase, calling the issue a universal problem that the entire sport must address together.
“Condemning abuse on social media is not aimed at any one fan base or the supporters of one team or driver, this is universal and should be called out and recognised to all fans of the sport,” Alpine stated.
This is not the first time Alpine has faced this situation, with scrutiny previously falling on Argentinian fans following Colapinto’s drive-through penalty at Zandvoort for overtaking under double yellow flags.
Gasly was also subjected to abuse, with threats extending to his family, after he briefly refused to let Colapinto past during the Madrid Grand Prix weekend.
Colapinto himself described the earlier wave of online hatred as “not nice to see,” while noting it was “not just his fans” responsible for the behaviour.
Alpine boss Flavio Briatore had reportedly warned Argentinian media that access to Colapinto could be revoked if the abuse continued to damage the team’s reputation.
Alpine’s statement confirmed the team intends to work closely with Formula 1 and the FIA to find long-term solutions, pledging to “encourage healthy sporting rivalry, which Formula One is renowned for and what makes it so special.”