Alpine has again condemned online abuse aimed at drivers and others in Formula One after Franco Colapinto’s crash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix triggered a fresh wave of hostile comments. The crash happened at a safety car restart in Baku, where Colapinto lost control and took his team-mate Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris out of the race.

Norris, the reigning champion, was particularly upset. Before he had seen footage of the incident, he said whoever caused the crash should receive “at least a one-race ban.” Though he did not name Colapinto, Norris was the main target of the ensuing abuse on social media, while Gasly and others were also attacked.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Alpine said mistakes can happen when drivers race at the limit, and no one should face hateful or abusive comments regardless of the result. The team said its condemnation was not directed at a particular fan base, but applied universally to supporters of every team and driver.

“As a team, we feel it’s necessary to speak out once more about the hate and abuse online following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix,” Alpine said. The team said the comments targeted one of its drivers as well as members of the Formula One community, including media, and rival teams it respects and admires competing against in the sport.

Alpine said it stood with Formula One, the FIA and other teams in seeking to stop online abuse, adding that it had become a regular occurrence in recent races and could not be condoned. The team said it would work with the championship promoter and rights-holder, as well as the governing body, to discuss ways to tackle abuse and encourage healthy sporting rivalry.

The latest condemnation follows earlier incidents involving Colapinto and his supporters. In the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the Argentinian driver received a drive-through penalty for overtaking under a double yellow flag. A wave of hateful comments then targeted FIA stewards and the Alpine team. The FIA defended its stewards last month after that abuse, which followed two penalties Colapinto received at the Dutch event.

Gasly was also targeted after he briefly delayed Colapinto during the Spanish Grand Prix. The FIA condemned the abuse aimed at the French driver three days before Alpine’s latest statement. Gasly said threats had also targeted his family. Colapinto described the conduct as “not nice to see” and said it was “not just his fans.”

Alpine said it had a responsibility, as a participant and stakeholder in Formula One, to speak out and help find a solution. It said the team would continue discussions with the championship’s promoter and rights-holder and the governing body about how to address online abuse.

The issue has also raised questions about the effect on Alpine’s relationship with Colapinto’s supporters and the driver’s future. Autosport reported that team boss Flavio Briatore had reportedly threatened Argentinian media that they would no longer be allowed to speak with Colapinto if hateful comments continued, saying the situation was damaging the team’s reputation.

A RaceFans reader identified as @Uzsjgb pointed to the case of Argentinian IndyCar driver Agustin Canapino, who lost his drive two years ago after a similar situation. The reader wrote: “Same thing happened with Agustin Canapino in IndyCar. He lost his drive, because nobody wanted to be associated with this sort of thing. Constantly having to issue such statements is not a viable path for Alpine, being associated with this sort of thing is just too damaging in the long run. They may have to terminate Colapinto’s contract.”

RaceFans published the reader’s comments on Sept. 27, 2026, in a featured comment item written by Keith Collantine. Its report on Alpine’s statement was published earlier that day, at 13:19, and said the crash had taken place the previous day. Autosport also reported the team’s renewed condemnation after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Based on reporting by Autosport and RaceFans.