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Formula 1 has grown significantly in recent years, not least on social media. While that is essentially a positive development, one downside has been the considerable increase in online abuse aimed at drivers and others working in the pinnacle of motorsport.
The FIA and F1 are trying to tackle the issue in several ways, for example through the United Against Online Abuse initiative, by declaring 7 July a global day of action and by using AI tools on their own platforms to detect and filter hateful comments.
Despite those efforts, many people working in the sport still have to deal with online abuse on a regular basis. According to Alpine driver Franco Colapinto, that is partly because viewers do not always understand the complexity of certain situations, but he also believes it is a reflection of society.
“It’s how society is nowadays. And that is something that, I think, we as athletes, need to speak a bit louder and put a limit on,” Colapinto said during an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com.
“As drivers, we need to help people understand how much their words can affect others. I think they never felt it in their lives because they never received those messages, or they probably think that we never read them anyway.
“But we’ve arrived to the situation that most athletes are deleting their social media. I think as human beings we need to be much more conscious of the effect that our words have.”
Colapinto says online abuse is linked to the complexity of the sport, but he feels that it is primarily a reflection of an increasingly harsh society
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Colapinto stressed that drivers can also play their part by not adding fuel to the fire, for example in post-race interviews.
“On my side, I also blame us as drivers a bit because sometimes we speak in the media in a way that we are not thinking about the strength that our words have.”
One example came after Oliver Bearman’s heavy crash in Japan. The Haas driver subsequently pointed to Colapinto’s role in the incident on a podcast, whereas Colapinto believes the matter would have been better dealt with behind closed doors.
“I sent him a message straight after the race and he never answered. We never spoke about it afterwards, but then he said this about me. It’s those kinds of things that we can fix in a different way, in a way that would be much easier and by not going public.
“And then I think making people understand that their words actually have an impact is also a very important part.”
Colapinto knows how passionate F1 fans can be – not least his Argentine following – but he is calling on people to keep things within reasonable limits, no matter what happens on track.
He says hateful messages do not particularly affect him personally, but he finds it more problematic when family members are confronted with them – something Max Verstappen has also spoken about in the past.
“Personally, as Franco, those things don’t affect me that much,” Colapinto added.
“I only get affected when people in my circle, people that I really admire and fully believe, say something to me. I listen to them a lot, but when someone behind a keyboard speaks and writes things without any knowledge of what’s happening, it doesn’t affect me at all.”
Dealing with all the pressure that comes with being an F1 driver – in that respect, Colapinto says he has made the biggest step in 2026
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
“Shocking” how “mentally demanding” F1 weekends can be
Nevertheless, these aspects are part of life as an F1 driver and mark a stark contrast to racing in the junior categories.
It is precisely in that respect – dealing with the external pressure, constant public scrutiny and all the obligations that come with it – that Colapinto says he has made significant progress.
“It’s much more political in F1, and no one really tells you that. Nothing can really prepare you for becoming an F1 driver and dealing with all the things you have to deal with. It’s a completely different world compared to F2. Maybe you drive only 10% of the time as an F1 driver, but it’s not so much about driving anymore.
“I think that’s one of the trickiest parts, because all of a sudden you are dealing with a lot more things. That’s the part that no one sees, but it’s shocking how mentally demanding an F1 weekend is,” the 23-year-old Argentine said.
“The part of consistently delivering weekend after weekend is something that is extremely difficult because emotions change, many things around you change, and to be at your top level week in, week out is extremely challenging.
“That’s the thing you learn with time, how to personally move on and focus on getting that consistency.
“I think finding that rhythm is the thing I’ve improved the most this year. I became much better at keeping my energy in a better place and not arriving exhausted before I drive. Personally, I think that’s one of the biggest steps I’ve made.”
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