Franco Colapinto has urged his supporters to stop abusing his rivals and others involved in the series online.

“They are thinking that they are defending me, but they are doing the opposite,” Colapinto told his followers in a video posted on social media.

The FIA and Alpine issued statements in the last two months condemning the abuse which occured following the Dutch, Spanish and Azerbaijan grands prix. Neither specifically mentioned Colapinto’s supporters but both identified the victims of the abuse, including his team mate Pierre Gasly and FIA officials. “It has become a regular occurrence in recent races and cannot be condoned,” said Alpine in a statement last month.

Colapinto told his supporters the online abuse must stop.

“I know it makes you feel very proud when I do well, when I get points, me and the whole team, and I will always be very grateful for that,” he said. “But there are times when we end up attacking other pilots, other colleagues, my team mates, my mechanics, my engineers, people I work with day by day.

“I know they are thinking that they are defending me, but they are doing the opposite. They don’t help me. And I really want you to understand that this is what we have to change, all together.

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“We have to try to improve as a society, and to help me have a better performance, to help get my dream and my results, that is, to score points, I need you to help stop this, all of us together.”

Colapinto made his F1 debut with Williams in the second half of 2024, but the team had no space for him in their line-up for the following season. He joined Alpine, who promoted him to a race seat in place of Jack Doohan early in the season. Doohan later revealed he received death threats from those who wanted him out of the car.

Alpine issued the first in a series of reactions to abuse from Colapinto’s supporters this year following the Chinese Grand Prix, when Esteban Ocon collided with him. Some Colapinto supporters also accused Alpine of sabotaging Colapinto and failing to provide him with the same equipment as Gasly.

Recent flashpoints included the penalties Colapinto received for failing to slow sufficiently for yellow flags at Zandvoort, Colapinto’s brief delay behind Gasly at the Madring and the collision between the Alpine drivers and Lando Norris in Baku.

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