Lando Norris has been the target of a wave of online abuse after urging Formula One officials to impose a ban on Argentine driver Franco Colapinto.
The World Champion made this call following a collision involving Colapinto that caused a three-car pile-up, forcing Norris to retire from Saturday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This incident sparked intense criticism from fans, largely those supporting Colapinto, directed at Norris across his social media platforms.
Colapinto, driving for Alpine, acknowledged responsibility for the accident and will face a five-place grid penalty at the forthcoming race.
READ MORE: Bath City Secure Fourth Consecutive Win with FA Trophy Triumph at Plymouth Parkway
READ MORE: Government Reviews Bridgwater Housing Plans Amid Concerns Over Infrastructure
In response to the online harassment, Alpine issued a statement through the Press Association on Sunday to address the fan behaviour. The team expressed concern about the hateful and abusive comments aimed not only at their driver but also at members of the Formula One community, media personnel, and other competitors.
The statement read:
“Mistakes are inevitable when pushing racing limits, and regardless of the outcome, no one should endure hateful or abusive remarks. Our condemnation of social media abuse is universal and not targeted at any particular fan base. We stand united with Formula One, the FIA, and other teams in rejecting and seeking to eliminate such conduct, which has become increasingly frequent in recent races.”
Alpine emphasised their commitment as a key participant in the sport to collaborate with championship promoters, rights-holders, and governing bodies to find solutions that foster healthy sporting rivalry-the essence of what makes Formula One special.
Meanwhile, Norris’s retirement in Baku sees him fall 116 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, effectively ending his chances in the title race this season.
Mercedes’ George Russell secured his third victory of the campaign, reducing Antonelli’s lead from 81 points to 66, with 208 points still available across the remaining eight rounds.
Russell is now the principal challenger to Antonelli’s championship lead and aims to build on his recent success as the season continues.
Antonelli, reflecting on his performance, which included a qualifying crash and a fifth-place finish, described his driving in Baku as cautious, joking that he drove “like my grandmother.” Despite this, he assured that he would return to form at the upcoming Malaysian Grand Prix.
“Russell has always been my rival, but I will make sure I re-establish the order next week and be back to my usual level,” Antonelli said. “Every competitor wants to win, and I’m not satisfied with my performance this weekend. It was a weekend where things didn’t click for me, but I’ve learned a lot, especially about how to respond in situations like this. I’m confident it will be much better next weekend.”