Colapinto Warns His Fans: 'You Are Not Helping Me'

Franco Colapinto has decided to put the brakes on a situation that makes him uncomfortable in Formula 1. The Argentine Alpine driver posted a video on his social media asking his followers to stop attacking others in his name. According to sources close to the driver, the message was a personal initiative, without intervention from the French team, and was recorded on his personal channel, not Alpine's official channels.

The trigger was the Argentine's double retirement at the Singapore Grand Prix. On Saturday, his car stopped due to an energy storage system issue; on Sunday, a transmission problem forced him out of the race. After these incidents, some fans directed their criticism at Alpine's mechanics and engineers, prompting Colapinto to record the video.

"I have something very important that I need to talk to you about for a while; it's something we have to change and improve. I will always be grateful, and I am fortunate for all the support you give me and push the team and me to achieve results every day, and I am extremely grateful for that, but...there are times when you go too far in what you say and do, and instead of supporting me, we end up criticizing or attacking other drivers, colleagues, teammates, mechanics, engineers, people I work with day to day. I know you think you are defending me, but you are generating the opposite; you are not helping me or my future," Colapinto declared in the video.

The Argentine was clear in pointing out that this type of behavior not only harms the people attacked, but also himself and his career: "I want you to understand that we all have to change together, improve as a society, to help me have a better performance. I need you to help me stop this. A while ago, I made the decision to distance myself from social media, take a break, and focus on my dream and my sports career," he added.

Colapinto's stance reflects a growing paddock concern about the impact of online hate, and although the phenomenon isn't exclusive to his followers, the Argentine has seen some fans turn social media into a battlefield, attacking teammates and other drivers. His message seeks to stop that dynamic and promote a more respectful environment.

Colapinto will have this weekend off after a demanding triple header before facing a new stretch of races in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil through the end of the year. If everything stays on track, another triple header will follow: Las Vegas, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. Afterward, his vacation will begin, with his sights set on 2027, when he will continue as an Alpine driver alongside Pierre Gasly.

The Argentine hopes that his message will raise awareness among his followers and that the support will translate into encouragement, not attacks. His future in Formula 1 depends, in part, on team harmony, and he is determined to protect it.