Pierre Gasly has revealed that he and his family received disturbing online abuse from Franco Colapinto fans following an on-track incident at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. The Alpine driver ran long on a contra-strategy during the race, creating a tense moment when Colapinto, chasing points while being pursued by Oscar Piastri, caught him on track. Colapinto went on to finish the grand prix in seventh place.
Pierre Gasly reveals disturbing online abuse following Madrid incident
Speaking ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Gasly confirmed that the fallout from the Madrid clash had spilled well beyond the track. The Pierre Gasly online abuse that followed reached beyond the driver himself and extended to members of his family, a detail he raised without prompting when asked about the reaction to the incident.
It has otherwise been a strong campaign for the Frenchman, who arrives in Baku on the back of his maiden pole position and Gasly’s Monaco podium finish. That form makes the scale of the abuse he described all the more striking.
Gasly and Colapinto address fan hostility and personal impact
Gasly did not hold back when describing what he and his family had faced, as reported by Crash.net:
“Personally, I find it a little bit disturbing for our sport. I’m a top athlete, so I know I’m exposed; it’s always been the case. But the extent of the threats, attacks, I find completely inapporpriate, especially when it reaches out to family members, girlfriend, etc. I don’t think that should be the case. Things were not that way in the past, and as a sport we just need to find a way to make it a healthier place because you’re exposed, you know you are going to be attacked. You can be liked, disliked; it’s completely fine. But there is a certain line that should not be crossed just because you’re behind a screen and a keyboard, and these lines are crossed too many times.”
Colapinto, when asked about the behaviour of some of his own fans, offered a brief response of his own. “Hopefully, they can stop it,” he said, acknowledging the issue without elaborating further.
Pattern of toxic fan behavior impacts Alpine squad context
Gasly’s comments add to a growing list of incidents involving Colapinto’s fanbase this season. Esteban Ocon previously received death threats from Colapinto fans after a collision between the pair at the Chinese Grand Prix, an episode that drew widespread condemnation across the paddock at the time.
The FIA has also had to intervene directly. The governing body condemned comments made by Mercado Libre, one of Colapinto’s sponsors, after the Argentine received a penalty at the Dutch Grand Prix. Nothing in the evidence suggests Colapinto has incited any of this behaviour himself, and Gasly’s own remarks were careful not to place blame on the driver personally.
Formula 1 driver abuse timeline and ongoing regulation
Taken together, the Chinese Grand Prix threats against Ocon, the FIA’s rebuke of Mercado Libre after the Dutch Grand Prix, and now the Pierre Gasly online abuse following Madrid form a pattern that has run through much of this Formula 1 season. Each incident has followed a similar shape: an on-track flashpoint involving Colapinto, followed by a hostile reaction online aimed at the other driver involved.
Gasly’s call was for the sport itself to become healthier, rather than for any specific sanction against fans or sponsors. No further disciplinary steps beyond the FIA’s earlier statement on Mercado Libre have been confirmed, and Formula 1 has not announced new measures in response to Gasly’s comments.
