Alpine condemn Colapinto abuse and deny ‘sabotage’

Franco Colapinto, who joined Alpine as the team’s reserve driver in 2025 after moving from Williams, has faced online criticism following a high-speed incident in Japan. Alpine has publicly denounced the abuse directed at the Argentine, emphasizing that the accusations of favoring teammate Pierre Gasly are “completely unfounded.”

Crash dynamics and performance

In the Japanese Grand Prix, Oliver Bearman’s Haas car collided with Colapinto’s Alpine, resulting from a 30mph speed gap between the two vehicles. Colapinto was in energy harvesting mode near the Spoon curve, while Bearman utilized the boost button. Despite the crash, Colapinto earned just one point in the first three races, compared to Gasly’s 15. Gasly finished seventh, whereas Colapinto placed 16th in the recent event.

In an open letter, Alpine stated that the team ‘condemns the hateful messages’ aimed at Colapinto. ‘Franco is our driver, and the team has placed its trust in him, just as he has with the team. That is an indication of the commitment we have to Franco and his place in the team with equal footing alongside Pierre,’ the statement read.

Alpine also addressed recent death threats targeting former racer Esteban Ocon. Ocon, who apologized for a collision with Colapinto in Shanghai last month, took full responsibility for the incident. The team noted that the subsequent abuse was not in line with the spirit of the sport and called it an oversight for not condemning it sooner.

‘Esteban took full responsibility and apologised to Franco, actively seeking him out in the media pen and also apologising on social media. The resulting abuse that followed was not in the spirit of the sport and was an oversight not to call it out sooner,’ Alpine said.

The team clarified that while development upgrades might be prioritized for one car at times, they remain committed to providing equal opportunities for both drivers. ‘That being said, the aim will always remain to bring upgrades to both cars where possible,’ Alpine added. Listen to Back at Base on BBC Sounds.