Alpine have publicly denounced the wave of online harassment and hateful messages that have been directed at drivers and other participants in Formula 1 since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix incident in which Franco Colapinto caused a three‑car collision involving his teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren's Lando Norris. The crash occurred on the first safety‑car restart in Baku when Colapinto braked too late into Turn 1, locked his wheels and clipped the side of Gasly, sending the Frenchman straight into Norris' car on the outside line. All three machines were forced to retire with significant damage.
In a statement released on Sunday, Alpine stressed that the condemnation of social‑media abuse is not aimed at any single fan base, team or driver; it is a universal issue that must be recognised and called out by every follower of the sport. "Condemning abuse on social media is not aimed at any one fan base or the supporters of one team or driver, this is universal and should be called out and recognised to all fans of the sport," the team wrote. Colapinto issued an apology to his teammate, the Alpine organisation and to Norris, describing his mistake as "a big mistake".
Because he retired from the race, the ten‑second time penalty he received could not be served, so the stewards converted it into a five‑place grid drop for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Norris, speaking in the immediate aftermath, suggested that drivers who cause incidents of this nature should face a race‑ban and added that "there are some drivers who shouldn't be in Formula 1, to be honest". Alpine has previously spoken out against the hateful comments that have followed Colapinto, who enjoys a large following in his native Argentina, after other on‑track incidents.
The team reiterated its stance, saying: "As a team, we feel it's necessary to speak out once more about the hate and abuse online following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Not only aimed at one of our own drivers, but also members of the Formula One community, including media, and to our racing counterparts who we respect, admire, and revel competing against in the pinnacle of motorsport. Mistakes happen when racing at the limit and no matter the result or outcome, nobody should be subject to hateful or abusive comments." Alpine executive adviser Flavio Briatore added that the team would take time to reflect on the incident and consider any further action, describing Colapinto's error as "very poor". At the time of the crash, Gasly had been running a solid seventh place while Colapinto was tenth; the collision cost Alpine seven championship points.
The stewards deemed Colapinto wholly or predominantly at fault and, because he could not serve the time penalty, imposed the grid‑drop for the next race he participates in. The aftermath of the Baku race saw Arvid Lindblad inherit seventh place, extending Racing Bulls' lead over Alpine in the battle for fifth in the Constructors' Championship to 15 points with eight rounds remaining. In Alpine's official press release, Briatore expressed disappointment over the lost points and said, "These sorts of incidents shouldn't happen, particularly when we were running well with both cars in point‑scoring positions. I feel very sorry for the team and for Pierre who did a great job all weekend and my apologies also go to Lando and McLaren for ruining their race." He continued, "I know that Franco has taken full responsibility for it, as he should; in fact he braked far too late considering the context of the race and the safety‑car restart.
It was a very poor move for a driver of his experience. I want to take time to reflect on it and consider what course of action should be taken, so we can learn from it and avoid such a situation in future." When asked about Norris' suggestion of a one‑race ban, the podium finishers all agreed that such a sanction would be excessive for a single mistake. Race winner George Russell said a ban would be "too harsh" and emphasized that safety‑car restarts on cold tyres can turn a small error into a big consequence.
Max Verstappen, who finished second, echoed this view, noting that while Colapinto's apology was appropriate, a race ban seemed disproportionate. Third‑place finisher Isack Hadjar also backed the consensus, pointing out the challenging conditions on the Baku street circuit, including a bumpy track and low tyre temperatures after the safety car, which can amplify any misjudgement.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team trusts the stewards to make the right decision and highlighted the need for drivers to apply "common sense" when navigating tricky first‑lap situations, especially on street circuits where runoff areas are limited. He added that penalties should reflect the particular hazards of each venue. Alpine concluded its statement by reaffirming its commitment to combating online abuse. The team pledged to work closely with the sport's promoter, rights‑holder and governing body to develop solutions that encourage healthy rivalry and protect participants from hateful commentary.
"We know as a proud participant and stakeholder in the sport, we hold a responsibility to speak out and also help support in finding a solution. We will continue to work closely with the championship promoter and rights‑holder, and the governing body to discuss ways in which to tackle online abuse and encourage healthy sporting rivalry, which Formula One is renowned for and what makes it so special," the statement read. Formula 1 will head to Malaysia for the first time since 2017, with the Bahrain Grand Prix taking place at the Sepang International Circuit.
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