Franco Colapinto’s plea to his fans and abuse revelation after Lando Norris attack

Franco Colapinto has issued a plea to his fans after Lando Norris was targeted by online trolls for comments he made after Formula 1’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Colapinto locked up and went too deep at the first corner during a safety car restart in Baku, causing him to slide into the side of Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly, who in turn hit Norris’ McLaren. 

All three drivers were wiped out in the collision, with Norris calling for Colapinto be handed an F1 ban in the heat of the moment. The reigning world champion later apologised for his comments after he was subjected to abuse on social media. 

It marked the latest instance of Colapinto’s Argentinian fans abusing rival drivers. Alpine executive Flavio Briatore threatened a media blackout in Argentina after Gasly recently suffered abuse. 

Speaking ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, where Colapinto will serve a five-place grid penalty as a result of his Baku blunder, Colapinto revealed he also has endured online abuse. 

"My message is always the same, that they sometimes don't realise what you can create by writing in your keyword, and that we are humans, and it's not easy for us when we get these kind of things,” Colapinto said. 

"I think it always goes to Argentinians, but we miss that it doesn't come only from Argentinians. It comes a lot from them, I fully agree. It doesn't just come from them, and they are extremely passionate, and they support me a lot. And it's bad, and they are bad many times, but it comes from all the world, and from many other fanbases.

"I don't know if we are not seeing it, I get loads of it and no one ever talks about it. I mean, it's fine because I don't look at social media too much. I don't go into it. But I know it affects a lot of people, and a lot of drivers, and a lot of families more than me.

"I hope that they improve. I've been asking for a long time. It's tricky for us drivers to control it. I think we are the ones to not do them more. But we are also really striving to improve the situation by ourselves. Because we try - for me, it's been since last year that I've been talking about it. I am doing my best, but it's tricky." 

On Norris’ criticism, Colapinto said: "I think he was in the heat of the moment...he knows what comments create because he suffered from it. 

"He was probably the driver that was speaking the most about hate a couple of years ago, just a few seasons ago. So I was very surprised. But then, of course, he apologised.

"Unfortunately, he also got a lot of hate from it. But I also felt it's a tricky situation with the outside world. And that's why I think we need to be a bit safe inside about the things we say. And I understand it in the heat of the moment to say things like that.”

Colapinto details “angry” Briatore response 

Colapinto also detailed the “angry” response he had from Briatore in the aftermath of the Azerbaijan collision which cost Alpine a potential double-points haul. 

Despite Briatore’s suggestions that Colapinto could be punished internally by Alpine, and speculation he could even be benched for a weekend as the most drastic measure, it appears he will face no further consequences. 

“Of course, Flavio was angry,” Colapinto admitted. “Everyone in the team was angry. It's not a nice situation to be in. And even worse to be the one creating that situation. It's the last thing that you want as a team.

“We were doing a very good job as team-mates on that weekend here. And it's very sad to finish it like that for a mistake.

“Of course there are times in the team that everyone is angry and it's tricky to move forward at the start. But you always find a way and Flavio is a great team leader.

“He's probably one of the best I've had in the sport, of course, since I started and has a lot of experience. He's very good at these situations, knowing how to manage them and knowing how to make the team better.

“I always trusted him in this kind of stuff and, of course, it's probably not the best when you are the one in the wrong and when you make a mistake but it's great to have him and learn from it.”