Alpine have publicly denounced the wave of online harassment and hateful comments that have been directed at drivers and other members of the Formula 1 community since the incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Franco Colapinto was involved in a three‑car collision with his teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren driver Lando Norris. The chain reaction began 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.
Gasly was forced straight into Norris' McLaren on the outside line, sending all three cars into the wall and ending their races. Alpine released a statement on Sunday that read, "Condemning abuse on social media is not aimed at any one fan base or the supporters of one team or driver; this is a universal problem that must be called out and recognised by all fans of the sport." The team emphasized that the vitriol was not limited to a single driver or nationality but was a broader issue affecting the entire paddock. All three competitors retired with significant damage.
Colapinto later issued an apology to Gasly, the Alpine team and Norris, admitting that his mistake was "big" and taking full responsibility for the incident. Because Colapinto retired, he could not serve the ten‑second time penalty handed down by the stewards.
Instead, the penalty was converted into a five‑place grid drop for the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. In the immediate aftermath, Norris was outspoken, suggesting that drivers who cause similar incidents should face a race‑ban. He added, "There are some drivers who shouldn't be in Formula 1, to be honest," reflecting the frustration felt by many after the chaotic restart. Alpine has a history of speaking out against online hate, especially after previous incidents involving Colapinto, who enjoys a large following in his native Argentina.
The team reiterated its stance, stating, "As a team, we feel it is necessary to speak out once more about the hate and abuse online following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Not only is it aimed at one of our own drivers, but also at members of the Formula One community, including media and our racing counterparts, whom we respect and admire. "Mistakes happen when racing at the limit, and regardless of the result, nobody should be subjected to hateful or abusive comments." Alpine continued, "We know, as a proud participant and stakeholder in the sport, we have a responsibility to speak out and help find a solution. We will continue to work closely with the championship promoter, the rights‑holder and the governing body to discuss ways to tackle online abuse and encourage healthy sporting rivalry, which is what makes Formula One special." Flavio Briatore, Alpine's executive advisor, said on Saturday evening that he would take time to reflect on the appropriate course of action after what he described as Colapinto's "very poor" error.
At the time of the crash, Gasly was running a strong seventh while Colapinto sat tenth. The incident cost Alpine seven points in the Constructors' Championship. The stewards' report explained the incident in detail: "Following the restart, COL approached GAS from behind into Turn 1.
COL braked too late and entered the corner on the inside at a speed which did not allow him to make the corner in a controlled manner. He overshot the corner and made contact with the left‑hand side of GAS, who then hit NOR and both cars retired. The Stewards considered that COL was wholly or predominantly to blame for the collision. Although the incident occurred at the first corner following the restart, there was no contribution from another driver which would justify applying the first‑lap/first‑corner more lenient approach.
The standard penalty for causing a collision is a 10‑second time penalty. As COL had retired from the race and was therefore unable to serve the time penalty, the Stewards converted the penalty to a drop of five grid positions at the next race in which the driver participates." With both Alpine cars and Norris out, Arvid Lindblad managed to finish seventh, extending Racing Bulls' lead over Alpine in the fight for fifth place in the Constructors' Championship to 15 points with eight rounds remaining.
In Alpine's official press release after the race, Briatore expressed disappointment: "Obviously I'm extremely disappointed with the outcome of today's race, knowing we lost valuable points in the championship fight. 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 added, "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." During the post‑race press conference, the podium finishers were asked about Norris' suggestion of a race ban. All agreed that a one‑race suspension would be excessive for a mistake of this nature.
Race winner George Russell said, "I think that's too harsh, personally. Safety‑car restarts, cold tyres, a very small mistake can have big consequences. A race ban should come from drivers intentionally doing something very dangerous and reckless." Second‑place finisher Max Verstappen echoed this view: "As long as the driver that caused it is aware of what he did, apologises and it was a small mistake, a race ban is probably a bit much.
It's unfortunate, but it happens." Third‑place driver Isack Hadjar also supported the notion that the penalty should be proportionate, noting the challenging conditions at Baku: "The track is not good enough, it's bumpy after the safety car, it's hard to generate tyre temperature. You overdo it and the consequences are big. A race ban is too harsh." McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team trusts the stewards to make the right call, but also stressed that drivers must apply common sense, especially on a street circuit where there is little runoff.
He added, "We trust the stewards, but drivers also need to use a certain degree of common sense while driving." The incident highlights a growing concern in motorsport: the rise of toxic online behaviour towards drivers, teams and officials. Alpine's firm stance, coupled with statements from the FIA and other teams, signals a collective effort to curb such abuse and preserve the spirit of competition.
Formula 1 now heads to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for the Bahrain Grand Prix, the first visit to the venue since 2017. Fans can watch live coverage on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through NOW, offering a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time.