Colapinto urges fans to stop online abuse after Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Alpine driver Franco Colapinto has appealed for an end to online abuse after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, saying hostile posts can take a toll on drivers.

GPBeat · Newsroom01 Oct 2026, 22:50 · 1 min

Speaking to RacingNews365 and other reporters after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Colapinto said people posting hostile messages often fail to consider their effect on those receiving them. Drivers are vulnerable too, he said, and the abuse can be hard to bear.

RacingNews365 reported his comments on 1 October after a first-corner mistake in Baku that it said put Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris out of the race. The outlet said Norris initially called for Colapinto to be suspended before backing away from that position.

Colapinto pushed back against blaming Argentine supporters alone. He said many strongly support him, although some go too far, and argued that hostility comes from fan groups around the world. He said he receives many abusive messages himself but rarely looks at social media, adding that he believes other drivers and athletes are affected more deeply.

Colapinto said drivers should avoid fuelling hostility but have limited power to change the situation. He said he had been raising the issue since last year and hoped it would improve.

Source context

Source: RacingNews365 Nederland’s account of Colapinto’s comments to reporters after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, published on 1 October 2026.

Claims and supporting evidence 6

RacingNews365 attributes the remarks to Franco Colapinto, speaking to the outlet among others after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Only this publication was supplied, so there is no comparison with independent coverage.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Source and setting Reported on October 1, 2026, after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The supplied report is not a full transcript of the exchange.

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Colapinto urged people posting abusive messages to consider their effect, saying drivers are vulnerable people and that receiving such messages is difficult.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto's appeal Remarks reported October 1, 2026. This establishes what he said, not a measured effect of the messages.

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Colapinto disputed the idea that the abuse comes only from Argentinians. He described Argentine supporters as highly supportive while acknowledging that some go too far, and said abuse comes from different fanbases worldwide.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto's assessment of the abuse's origin Remarks reported October 1, 2026. These are his assessments; the supplied page provides no breakdown of message origins.

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Colapinto said he receives many such messages himself but spends little time looking at social media. He believes the abuse affects some other drivers and athletes more severely than it affects him.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto's account of his own experience Remarks reported October 1, 2026. The volume of messages and their effects on other people are not independently measured in the supplied material.

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Colapinto said drivers should avoid inflaming online hostility, but find it difficult to control or change. He said he had been raising the issue since the previous year and hoped it would improve.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Colapinto's proposed response and its limits Remarks reported October 1, 2026; his account refers back to the previous year. His account of earlier efforts is not accompanied by a record of those efforts in the supplied page.

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RacingNews365 says Colapinto made a turn-one error in Baku that put Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris out of the race. It also says Norris initially called for a suspension, then walked back that position.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Baku race context as reported by the outlet The Azerbaijan Grand Prix preceding the October 1, 2026 report. This is the outlet's account of the race and Norris's reaction; no race record or separate Norris statement was supplied.

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This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.