The tensions began during the race when Gasly found himself defending his position against Colapinto on the track. The tactical defense ultimately resulted in Gasly crossing the finish line in 12th place, while the young Argentine driver secured a strong seventh-place finish. However, the on-track battle spilled over into the digital realm, triggering a wave of toxic reactions across social media platforms that targeted Gasly, his family, and those close to him.
Addressing the situation in an interview with motorsport publication The Race, Gasly expressed deep concern over the hostility he experienced. The 30-year-old veteran pointed out that the online backlash crossed far beyond the boundaries of healthy sports fandom.
"I find it completely inappropriate, especially when it reaches out to family members, [my] girlfriend, etc. I don’t think that should be the case," Gasly stated during the interview, emphasizing that a distinct line not to be crossed had been breached repeatedly in recent times.
The comments drew an immediate and forceful reaction from Alpine Team Principal Flavio Briatore. Known for his fiery managerial style, Briatore did not mince words when discussing the behavior of certain sections of Colapinto’s fanbase, asserting that they were failing to support the young driver in an appropriate manner.
"They [should] support Franco cleanly, not what I see on social media," Briatore declared, warning that the team would take drastic measures if the toxic behavior persisted. He explicitly threatened to cut off all media engagements involving Colapinto, including interviews with Argentine television broadcasters, to protect the team environment from toxic outside interference.
"If I see every time we have a lot of anger from the fans for no reason, then we will stop the interviews with the Argentinian television, we will stop everything, because it doesn’t make sense what I’m reading on social media," Briatore added.
FIA President Condemns Abuse
The escalation of online harassment within Formula 1 prompted a swift response from the highest levels of motorsport governance. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), released an official statement giving his unequivocal backing to Gasly and condemning the online abuse as completely unacceptable.
"We simply cannot accept online hate within our sport and we all have a responsibility […] to challenge this behavior and create an environment built on respect," Ben Sulayem wrote in the statement. He urged the wider motorsport community to remain united against toxicity and to pursue meaningful actions to safeguard the well-being of everyone involved in the sport.
What Did Colapinto Say?
Franco Colapinto himself addressed the controversy, expressing clear disapproval of the harassment directed at his teammate. The Argentine driver maintained that online abuse is distressing to witness and emphasized that he and Gasly maintain a healthy, positive professional relationship behind the scenes.
"It’s never nice to see such online abuse," Colapinto remarked, acknowledging that he and Gasly "get on very well together." He also reflected on the broader cultural issues facing modern sports, noting that toxic fan behavior has unfortunately become a widespread phenomenon.
"It happens a lot with fans in Formula 1, in any sport nowadays, it’s something very common, and it shouldn’t be," Colapinto said. "We should be taking more care about the words that come out of the keyboards of everyone."
This incident is not the first time passionate fanbases have placed Colapinto at the center of controversy within the paddock. Last year, Australian driver Jack Doohan—whom Colapinto ultimately replaced at Alpine—revealed that he was forced to hire private security details after receiving extensive threats from aggressive online accounts. The barrage of hostility followed the circulation of a fabricated Instagram story across several Argentine media outlets, which falsely claimed Doohan’s father had mocked a crash involving Colapinto.
Similarly, former Red Bull driver Yuki Tsunoda became the target of a harsh online campaign after making an angry hand gesture toward Colapinto during an on-track dispute at that season’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The recurring pattern of online hostility previously prompted Alpine to issue an official communiqué reminding supporters to remember that "behind the visor […] there is a person," while urging fans to maintain kindness and mutual respect.
Fans Say Criticism Is Targeted
The statements from Gasly, Briatore, and Ben Sulayem triggered substantial pushback from fans and commentators across Argentina and Latin America, many of whom argued that the sport applies a double standard by singling out Argentine supporters while ignoring similar behavior from other fanbases.
Former Argentine racing driver Juan Cruz Alvarez took to the social media platform X to voice his frustration, pointing out that Colapinto appears to be uniquely targeted with questions about fan behavior during official press conferences, despite harassment being a broader issue across different driver fanbases in Formula 1.
Meanwhile, Argentine journalist Adrián Puente criticized Briatore’s threatened media blackout, arguing that online toxicity transcends national borders. Puente rejected the characterization of Argentine fans as aggressive extremists, condemning the team principal’s ultimatum as a form of "plain and simple censorship."
In the days following Gasly’s interview, the comments sections of Alpine F1’s official Instagram account transformed into a hub of ironic and culturally specific commentary by Argentine supporters mocking the situation. Fans flooded the page with humorous references, including one user adapting Víctor Hugo Morales’ legendary broadcast narration of Diego Maradona’s iconic goal against England in the 1986 World Cup by asking, "From what planet did you come, you magical croissant?" Another fan humorously quipped, "Gasly and [Juan Domingo] Perón, one love," highlighting the uniquely satirical response of the online community to the unfolding controversy.
