Alpine refutes claims of sabotage against Franco Colapinto in F1, denounces mistreatment.

Alpine has issued an open letter denying “completely unfounded” allegations from fans claiming that they have been undermining the car and competitive prospects of their Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto.

Colapinto secured 16th place at the recent Japanese Grand Prix, while his teammate Pierre Gasly achieved seventh place with a notable performance, finishing just ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

The difference in performance prompted fan speculation directed at the team, suggesting they were deliberately hindering Colapinto’s opportunities.

After finishing last in 2025, Alpine has made a comeback this year, regularly scoring points, with Colapinto finishing 10th at the Chinese Grand Prix last month.

The team stated that compromising their position in any manner “is absolutely not in the team’s best interests” and would not be “conducive to that ultimate end goal” of achieving a better finish this season.

In a 1,188-word open letter directed at Alpine and Formula 1 supporters, the team expressed: “Franco is our driver, and the team has placed its trust in him, just as he has in the team.

“This reflects our commitment to Franco and his equal standing within the team alongside Pierre.

“Any allegations regarding sabotage or not providing Franco with the same car are entirely unfounded, which is why the team felt compelled to respond.

“It is absolutely not in the team’s interests to fail to score points, and any notion of self-sabotage is not conducive to that ultimate goal.

“From the initial races, the team finds itself in a strong position and is not resting on its laurels, remaining grounded.

“In the last two races, the team has been the fourth fastest, and we recognize the need to work diligently to maintain that status and have both cars consistently in contention for points.

“There may be instances this year when, in the development race, upgrades are delivered to one car first, which the team will communicate and be fully transparent about.

“That said, the objective will always be to provide upgrades to both cars whenever feasible.”

Alpine’s statement also addressed the abuse directed at Colapinto following his near-collision with Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who crashed heavily after taking evasive action to avoid the Alpine car.

This year, Colapinto has been involved in several dramatic incidents, including a collision with Esteban Ocon at the Chinese GP, for which the Haas driver accepted full responsibility, leading to Ocon receiving death threats from Colapinto supporters.

Alpine’s statement continued: “The team condemns the hateful messages directed at Franco after last weekend’s race in Japan, just as it condemns the abuse and threats aimed at Esteban Ocon following the collision between the two cars at the Chinese Grand Prix.

“Both drivers were racing fiercely and contending for position, and Esteban took full responsibility and apologized to Franco, actively seeking him out in the media pen and also expressing his apologies on social media.

“The subsequent abuse was not in the spirit of the sport, and it was an oversight not to address it sooner.

“Any form of abuse directed at all drivers is unacceptable, and it is particularly disappointing that it comes from a minority of the team’s fans towards a driver who has contributed significantly to the team in the past and is a Grand Prix winner for Alpine.

“Furthermore, the team also condemns the hateful behavior towards Franco following the incident with Ollie Bearman at Suzuka.

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“First and foremost, the safety and well-being of the drivers is paramount, and thankfully Ollie is okay.

“The closing speeds are a characteristic of these cars, and as stated by the FIA, this matter will be closely examined in the upcoming weeks.

“The FIA also reviewed the incident involving Franco and Ollie during the race and concluded that no further action was required.”

Bearman’s crash underscored a growing safety concern regarding F1’s new cars, as the battery harvesting and deployment that drivers perform at various stages of the lap can lead to dangerous closing speeds between vehicles.

Bearman approached Colapinto’s car with a closing speed of 50 mph due to his battery boosting while the Argentine was harvesting.

Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) leader Carlos Sainz criticized the FIA after the race for prioritizing spectacle over driver safety.

Source: espn.com