The Alpine team released a strong statement after Franco Colapinto received criticism on social media following the Formula 1 Japanese GP. The team publicly condemned hate messages directed at the Argentine driver after the accident involving Haas’s Oliver Bearman at Suzuka.
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Colapinto was the target of criticism after moving to the left on a straight while out of battery, creating a large speed difference for Bearman who was approaching very quickly, and this maneuver ended up forcing the Haas driver off the track, leaving the Briton without control before hitting the barrier hard at high speed.
In a statement, the French team avoided pointing to any specific group of fans and broadened the discussion to the entire Formula 1 community: “The team has already taken a firm stance condemning any behavior of hate, abuse, threats, or online bullying and on social media, encouraging people to use these platforms responsibly,” Alpine stated.
The team also highlighted that the issue goes beyond an isolated incident: “This is not about a specific fan base, but about the entire Formula 1 community coming together to enjoy the sport we all love,” the statement continues.
Alpine also compared the situation with criticism previously directed at Esteban Ocon after a collision at the Chinese GP. According to the team, the same type of behavior was observed again after the accident in Suzuka, which led the team to reinforce its position against online attacks.
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The statement also emphasized that driver safety is the primary concern and highlighted that Bearman escaped the accident unhurt: “The most important thing is the safety and well-being of the drivers, and fortunately Ollie is fine. Speed differences are a characteristic of these cars and, as the FIA stated, this will be analyzed in the coming weeks”.
Alpine also highlighted that the FIA evaluated the incident and decided not to take additional measures. At the same time, the team reinforced that it actively monitors its social media and uses moderation tools to deal with inappropriate content.
Finally, the team stated that it maintains constant dialogue with Formula 1 and the FIA to combat this type of behavior in the future: “The team closely monitors its channels and uses tools to moderate comments that do not follow our guidelines. We are also in regular dialogue with Formula 1 and the FIA to address and reduce this problem collectively,” the French team’s statement concludes.
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