Alpine has issued a further warning about online abuse after new attacks on F1 drivers and the wider community emerged following the crash of Franco Colapinto in Azerbaijan. The Argentine driver’s Alpine, which was led by teammate Pierre Gasly, collided with the McLaren of Lando Norris during a safety car restart at the Baku circuit. The crash caused all three to leave the race. The incident soon snowballed over onto social media, where Norris’ comments surrounding the crash were met with a barrage of abusive messages.

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Colapinto Crash Ends Three Drivers’ Races

The crash occurred just after the safety car period in Baku, as the pack was about to go racing again. As Colapinto went to brake, he locked up and hit Gasly in front. Both cars then spun out in front of Norris. After that, Gasly, who had been running in the points, was the first driver to be forced out of the race, followed by the disappointing exit of Norris.

Colapinto apologised to his teammate and Norris after the incident. The stewards later determined that the Alpine driver was predominantly responsible for the collision and handed him a penalty. Since he had already retired from the race, the 10-second penalty was converted into a five-place grid drop for his next race. The crash itself therefore had a direct sporting consequence for Colapinto. The reaction that followed created another issue for Alpine.

Norris Becomes Target of Online Abuse

Norris was agitated about the incident and wondered if a harsher punishment should be imposed on drivers guilty of serious accidents. The McLaren driver stated that the guilty party should receive at least a one-race suspension. Norris didn’t identify Colapinto directly in his first statement. But his comments received some renewed criticism from the Argentine driver’s internet following, with the McLaren driver being a key target.

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Alpine’s other fear is that Norris has become the focus of abuse not just within the Formula 1 community, but among others like fans, rival teams and the media. The team has seen past incidents of its drivers and staff receiving distressing messages from Colapinto fans, and because of this, it is not a one-off incident due to the Baku crash.

Gasly Has Also Faced Threats

Gasly was involved in another of the category’s similar own-against-others stoushes earlier in the season. The Frenchman was met with fury from some Colapinto fans after an episode during the Madrid race in which he temporarily held up fellow Alpine driver Colapinto. Gasly admitted that the abuse he received was not limited to criticism, and that threat messages had been sent to his own family as well. Colapinto called the treatment “disturbing” and reiterated that it affected the reputation of his entire supporter base.

Azerbaijan had already led to a problem for Alpine ahead of the weekend. Team adviser Flavio Briatore also said that too much abuse may harm the team’s connection with parts of the Argentinian media supporting Colapinto. The latest incident has set the issue straight again, this time due to a crash that included three cars and two Alpine drivers.

Alpine Says Abuse Cannot Be Accepted

The latest from Alpine deals with the line between constructive race criticism and personal abuse. Although Alpine admitted that mistakes can occur when competitors are racing at the limit, it also claimed that the result of the incident should never be used as an excuse for vile abuse. The statement drew no distinctions between any particular fanbases either. In fact, their position for any driver or team was something else altogether.

The team claimed to be supporting Formula 1, the FIA and the teams working together to find the solution. Alpine also noted, ‘since the opening race this year, online abuse has become almost a tradition.’ That distinction is critical for Alpine. While Formula 1 has a large and very active worldwide fan base, fans of the sport and of individual teams often have opposing opinions about what is happening in the races. Threatening to physically harm or personally harass individuals is another issue entirely.

Colapinto Faces Sporting Penalty After Baku

The Azerbaijan GP has left Colapinto forced to accept a sporting penalty, plus yet more focus on the conduct of certain fans. The five-place grid drop will be applied to the next race from the stewards’ decision on the Baku incident. It is the second punitive result in a weekend in which the Argentine’s race was curtailed early anyway. Neither Gasly nor Norris could make up the lost points after their races were ultimately decided by the crash. As far as Alpine was concerned, the worst part was that Gasly had been in a points-paying position before the restart.

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Now, the team hopes that the incident is brought back to racing again, without turning into personal insults. Alpine’s press release recently clarified their position: “Criticism of drivers for mistakes can be voiced, discussion of penalties can be entered into, and stewards’ decisions can be challenged, but abuse of those involved with Formula 1 has no place in the sport.

Editor - Neha

Neha is the Co-Director & Editor at sportselite.in, drawn to the stories that give Sports their energy beyond the scoreboard. She brings clarity, context, and a human perspective to coverage across Elite Sports, from standout performances to shifting team dynamics and memorable contests. At sportselite.in, Neha helps turn complex sporting developments into engaging stories, keeping readers connected to the people and moments behind the action.