Colapinto urges fans to stop online abuse

Franco Colapinto has urged his fans to stop online abuse, telling them: “You’re not helping me or my future.” The driver says some supporters go too far by targeting other people in the name of supporting him.

After the Zandvoort, Madrid and Baku races, hateful comments were directed, among others, at FIA stewards, Pierre Gasly and his family, and Lando Norris. Colapinto had previously responded cautiously: in Baku, he described the behaviour as “not nice to see”. After the first-corner pile-up in Azerbaijan, he also offered a more nuanced view of the situation.

In a Spanish-language video posted on Instagram, he said the issue was something he had wanted to address for some time. He acknowledged that he probably should have spoken sooner, then called for change and improvement. He also stressed his gratitude to the supporters who have backed him from the beginning and whose encouragement, he said, helps him and his team achieve results and aim higher.

“I know you think you’re defending me, but you’re actually doing the opposite,” he told them. Colapinto added that the abuse also targets other drivers, his team-mates, mechanics and engineers he works with every day. He acknowledged that much of it comes from Argentine supporters, while stressing that they are not the only ones: it also comes from elsewhere in the world and from other fanbases. “I get loads of it. No one ever talks about it,” he said.

His appeal follows several incidents in recent months. Colapinto secured a new deal with Alpine in August for the 2027 season, securing his immediate future. In the 2026 standings, he is 12th with 27 points, while team-mate Gasly is 10th on 41. Against that backdrop, the driver drew a clear distinction between the support he appreciates and attacks that, in his words, do nothing for his career or future.