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Franco Colapinto's management team and the Alpine Formula 1 team have strongly condemned comments made by television presenter Jeremy Clarkson during the United States Grand Prix weekend in Austin. The Briton's remarks were branded unacceptable after he targeted the driver solely based on his Argentinian nationality.
The former Top Gear host and current star of "Clarkson's Farm" was attending the event as a guest and gave an interview to Sky Sports F1 ahead of qualifying. Asked about the 10-place grid penalty handed to Colapinto for power unit component changes, Clarkson remarked that the driver had likely been penalised for being Argentinian, adding that he would penalise him for that very reason in reference to his past experiences in the South American country.
Clarkson's fraught history with Argentina dates back to 2014, when he drove a car with the registration plate H982 FKL during filming for a Top Gear special in Patagonia. Locals viewed the number plate as a deliberate provocation referencing the 1982 Falklands War between Argentina and Great Britain.
Tensions escalated into violent attacks against the production crew, forcing Clarkson and co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May to abandon filming and flee across the border into Chile. It was subsequently confirmed that the registration plate was original to the vehicle from manufacture and that the crew had not chosen it intentionally.
Colapinto's manager, Jamie Campbell-Walter, took to social media to issue an official statement criticising the presenter's conduct. The incident occurred just a week after Colapinto had urged fans to put an end to online abuse and attacks directed at other drivers.
"Jeremy Clarkson's comments regarding Franco's nationality are completely unacceptable. Remarks like these have no place in Formula 1, regardless of who makes them or whether they were intended as a joke. We are working hard to foster mutual respect and eliminate toxicity. That respect must go both ways, and we cannot demand responsible behaviour from everyone while accepting such remarks from celebrities visiting our sport. Franco and his supporters deserve better," Campbell-Walter said.
French outfit Alpine also issued a statement, reported by Reuters, without explicitly naming Clarkson:
"We are aware of comments made in a television interview by a guest of the team in Austin. We would like to clarify that these are personal opinions that do not reflect the team's values of sportsmanship and respect. Franco is our driver and has our full support."
Following his 10-place grid penalty, Franco Colapinto is set to start from 21st position in Austin, while teammate Pierre Gasly will line up in 10th.
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