Alpine F1 boss threatens Franco Colapinto media boycott over outrageous fan abuse and threats

Flavio Briatore, Franco Colapinto, Alpine, 2026, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Alpine boss threatens Franco Colapinto media boycott over outrageous fan abuse and threats

Something has to change!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Thursday 24 September 2026 17:01

Make us your Google favorite

Alpine chief Flavio Briatore has threatened to withdraw Franco Colapinto from media duties if his fans don't learn to behave with a modicum of decorum and decency.

The Argentine driver's home fans have swiftly developed a reputation for crossing the line on social media, with Yuki Tsunoda sent a torrent of racist abuse after a minor impeding incident in practice last year, and Jack Doohan being forced to attend the Miami Grand Prix with security shortly before Colapinto took his Alpine seat.

Most recently it was Colapinto's own team-mate Pierre Gasly who bore the brunt of their frustration, with the Frenchman opening up this week on 'disturbing' abuse sent to him, members of his family and his girlfriend.

Article continues under video

On what ended up being a disastrous race strategy in Madrid last time out, the Frenchman had track position over Colapinto in the closing stages, with the Argentine both faster and on fresher tyres as he tried to keep ahead of Oscar Piastri.

Colapinto repeatedly asked his team to tell Gasly to let him past, but in the event he had to wait until his team-mate was brought in for his one and only pit stop despite his growing frustration on the radio. The incident ended up not mattering to the result, with Piastri finishing behind the Argentine anyway.

F1 HEADLINES: The Ferrari plan to replace Hamilton's boss as Domenicali pay revealed

Briatore: Argentine fans are lucky to have Colapinto

Regardless, a substantial section of Colapinto's fanbase went absolutely ballistic, leading to Briatore's ultimatum when speaking to ESPN's Argentine edition in Baku.

The flamboyant Italian warned of a potential media boycott if a large, vocal portion of his driver's fanbase didn't fall in line, saying: “Especially for the Argentinians, because it’s not a question about the Italians or whatever.

“If the Argentinians want to support Franco, they [should] support Franco clean, loyal, not what I see on social media.

“If not, at one point Franco will stop talking with everybody, because if I see every time we have a lot of anger from the fans, and this and that, for no reason, if the people are like that then we will stop the interviews with the Argentinian television, we will stop everything, because it doesn’t make sense what I’m reading on social media.

“You’re lucky, in Argentina you have a promising driver. Franco is in the middle to be developed. This year he is much better. We need to support him. But support him in the right way, not what we are seeing on social media. We need to support Franco, we welcome the Argentinian people, but we need to be correct as well.”

PRACTICE RESULTS: Azerbaijan GP times and positions

F1 Alpine Franco Colapinto Flavio Briatore