Alpine condemn online abuse after Colapinto crash sparks Norris backlash

Alpine draw a line under abuse after Baku collision

Alpine have condemned a wave of online hate and abuse following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, after Franco Colapinto’s mistake at the first Safety Car restart triggered a collision involving his teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

Colapinto locked up and went too deep into Turn 1 at the Baku City Circuit, driving into Gasly’s Alpine and sending it into Norris’s McLaren. All three drivers were forced to retire, while Mercedes driver George Russell won the race.

The stewards issued Colapinto with a 10-second penalty, which was converted into a five-place grid drop for the next round because he failed to finish in Baku. The official Formula 1 account reported that the penalty will apply at the upcoming race in Malaysia.

Norris calls for a ban

Norris was critical of Colapinto after the incident and argued that the crash warranted a suspension.

“There are some drivers who shouldn’t be in Formula One to be honest,” Norris said. “If you cause a crash on a restart like this, you should have at least a one-race ban. It is not driving that deserves to be in Formula One.”

Colapinto accepted responsibility and apologised after the race. However, Norris subsequently became the target of abusive messages, apparently from some Colapinto supporters, prompting Alpine to issue a statement that addressed abuse directed at drivers, media members and other teams.

Team urges fans to keep rivalry healthy

“Mistakes happen when racing at the limit and no matter the result or outcome, nobody should be subject to hateful or abusive comments,” Alpine said.

The team stressed that its criticism was not aimed at one particular fan base, adding that abuse had become a regular occurrence at recent races. Alpine said it would continue working with Formula 1, the FIA and other stakeholders to find ways to tackle online harassment and promote the “healthy sporting rivalry” associated with the championship.

Gasly had previously described online abuse aimed at him as “disturbing” after he was accused by some fans of holding up Colapinto at the Spanish Grand Prix. Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore also warned before the Baku race that Colapinto could be prevented from speaking to Argentinian television if abuse directed at Gasly continued.

A recurring problem in Formula One

Colapinto has repeatedly condemned abusive behaviour by fans, noting that other drivers, stewards and team personnel have also been targeted. Jack Doohan said before leaving Alpine that he had received death threats, while Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Gasly and FIA stewards have faced separate waves of online abuse after incidents at recent races.

Formula One and the FIA launched the United Against Online Abuse campaign in 2023. The initiative secured €400,000 in European Union funding in January as the sport seeks to address harassment across its community.

“It happens a lot with fans in Formula One, in any sport nowadays,” Colapinto said before the Azerbaijan race. “Unfortunately, that shouldn’t be common.”