Colapinto Urges Fans to Stop Online Abuse: You Are Helping Neither Me Nor My Future
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Following a string of unacceptable behavior and hate speech from a section of Argentine supporters, Franco Colapinto has taken his strongest stance yet.
The Alpine driver issued a direct appeal to fans from his homeland to immediately stop online harassment triggered by multiple incidents in recent months. Following races at Zandvoort, Madrid, and Baku, a wave of abusive comments targeted FIA stewards, teammate Pierre Gasly and his family, as well as Lando Norris. The issue has become a persistent problem throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season, prompting Alpine to regularly issue official statements in an effort to combat the abuse.
Colapinto had previously taken a more measured approach to the topic. In Baku, he merely described such behavior as "not nice to see," and following an incident at Turn 1 in Azerbaijan, stated:
"I think we're missing the fact that it's not just coming from Argentines. I completely agree that a lot of it does, but they are not the only ones. They are extremely passionate and support me a lot, but sometimes they cross the line. However, this comes from all over the world and from fans of different drivers. I don't know why it goes unnoticed. I personally receive a massive amount of abuse that nobody talks about."
On Thursday, however, the Argentine posted a video message in Spanish on Instagram, strongly condemning the fans' extreme reactions and emphasizing that they are damaging his career.
"Hi everyone. There's something extremely important that we've needed to talk about for a while. I probably should have addressed you sooner, but this is an issue we have to resolve and improve," Colapinto said.
"I will always be grateful and feel truly lucky for the support you've shown me from the very beginning. Thank you for the energy that helps me deliver results and motivates me to aim higher and higher. You help me and the team race after race, session after session.
"I know how proud you are when things go well and I score points. But sometimes it goes too far. Instead of just supporting me, it leads to attacks on other drivers, colleagues, my teammate, my mechanics, and my engineers—people I work with every single day.
"I know you think you are defending me, but you are actually doing the exact opposite. You are helping neither me nor my future."
The 23-year-old Argentine's future in the championship appears secure after signing a contract extension with Alpine for the 2027 season in August. Colapinto currently sits 12th in the 2026 drivers' championship with 27 points, while teammate Gasly is 10th on 41 points.
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