F1 team Alpine have condemned social media abuse towards Franco Colapinto in the aftermath of the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Argentine driver was caught up in an incident mid-race with Haas driver Ollie Bearman, leading to the Brit’s retirement.
The Suzuka incident
During the race at the Suzuka Circuit, Colapinto suddenly slowed and moved over coming into Spoon curve as a result of the energy harvesting systems in the new 2026 cars.
A fast Bearman was just behind him, approaching at a near 30mph speed differential.
The Haas driver lost control in avoidance and hit the barrier hard as a result.
Colapinto went on to finish 16th in the Japanese GP, while Bearman was forced to retire.
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Social media reaction
After the events of the race, angry fans took to social media to blast hate towards the Alpine driver.
The French team then published a statement in defence of the 22-year-old, saying: “Social media should be a place to bring people together, share in experiences and encourage healthy debate.
“In a highly competitive and complex sport, people will always have differences of opinion and disagree, but we encourage all fans of every team and driver to do it in a kind and respectful way.
“This isn’t about one particular fanbase, it’s about the entire Formula One community coming together to enjoy the sport we all love and are passionate about.
“The team condemns the hateful messages aimed towards Franco… the same way it condemns the abuse and threats that were aimed towards Esteban Ocon following a collision between the two cars at the Chinese Grand Prix.”
Ollie Bearman’s thoughts
Following his 50G crash into the barriers at Spoon curve, Haas driver Ollie Bearman said: “Everything is good, I’m absolutely fine.
“The car is a bit worse for wear, but we have a month now to reset and come back.
“I can only apologise from the bottom of my heart to the team for that because it’s a lot of work for them.”
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SportJustSport writers