Franco Colapinto has made online abuse a recurring topic throughout the 2026 Formula 1 season, speaking about it in an exclusive Autosport interview in Monaco and at many race weekends since. After the Singapore Grand Prix, the Alpine driver went a step further and addressed his fanbase directly in a video message. He said he appreciated the support from his fans, but made clear that directing hate at others does nothing to help his own F1 career.
Ahead of this weekend's United States Grand Prix, Colapinto told Autosport that he felt the situation had crossed a line. He revealed that members of his own team had been targeted on social media. "Especially my mechanics got a lot of hate," the 23-year-old said. "My engineers as well, people from my team that want me to do well and that help me to perform." Mechanics who adjust his car between qualifying segments are often wrongly blamed for difficult sessions and then receive hateful messages. Autosport understands that Alpine has taken steps to minimise the impact, advising team members to keep their personal accounts private and avoid showing team logos.
Colapinto stressed that the problem extends well beyond Formula 1. "You saw it with Max as well," he said, referring to Max Verstappen, who had also spoken out on the issue. "It's happening a lot around us," he added, pointing to artists, actors and many other areas of life.
Colapinto said the abuse does not affect him greatly personally, as he pays little attention to such comments. However, he acknowledged that it affects others, which is why he believes the issue needs attention. He hopes his video will help bring about some improvement.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing