Alpine Denies Colapinto Sabotage Claims — and Condemns the Abuse That Followed
In a lengthy open letter, Alpine has rejected fan claims that Franco Colapinto is being deliberately given inferior equipment, while also calling out the online harassment that has targeted multiple drivers across the season’s opening three rounds.
Alpine published a 1,200-word open letter on Thursday, addressing what had become a growing wave of allegations on social media — primarily from Argentinian fans — that the team was deliberately sabotaging Franco Colapinto’s car to favour his French team-mate Pierre Gasly. The statement, unusual in its length and directness, was prompted by a combination of factors that built up across the opening three races of 2026: a performance gap between the two drivers, a specification question at the Chinese Grand Prix, a frightening incident at Suzuka, and a sustained pattern of online abuse targeting multiple drivers.
Where the Claims Came From
The sabotage narrative took root around the Chinese Grand Prix. Colapinto finished 10th in Shanghai — his only points finish of the season so far — but crossed the line 49 seconds behind team-mate Gasly in seventh. The gap drew attention, and a post-race comment from Colapinto himself added fuel: the Argentinian mentioned needing « the bits I don’t have on mine » and referenced a front wing he still didn’t fully understand. It later emerged that a gearbox problem discovered just before the Shanghai weekend had led to minor specification differences between the two cars, with Colapinto reverting to an older testing-spec part. Alpine’s letter confirms this was a low-performance-impact change.
On social media, the narrative quickly escalated beyond reasonable interpretation. Fans accused the team of deliberate favouritism, described Colapinto’s car as « a bicycle, » called Alpine a « meat grinder » for its second driver, and in some cases levelled direct abuse at team personnel and Gasly. One supporter went as far as claiming the « difference between the engineers of both drivers is abysmal. »
Alpine’s Response: « Completely Unfounded »
« Franco is our driver and the team has placed its trust in him, just as he has with the team. Any questions about sabotage or not giving Franco the same car are completely unfounded, which is why the team felt the need to speak out. »
— Alpine F1 Team, open letter, April 2, 2026
The team was clear that both Gasly and Colapinto have been running identical equipment across 2026, with the sole exception of the low-impact gearbox component swap in China. Alpine acknowledged that upgrades may occasionally arrive on one car before the other due to manufacturing lead times, but stressed this would always be communicated transparently and that the objective remains bringing updates to both cars simultaneously.
« It’s absolutely not in the team’s interests to not score points, and any suggestion of self-sabotage isn’t conducive to that ultimate end goal. There’s no withholding of information or keeping performance tricks hidden away. That is very much a thing of the past and not part of modern Formula 1. »
— Alpine F1 Team, open letter
The team also highlighted its competitive position: despite finishing last in the 2025 constructors’ championship, Alpine has already accumulated 16 points in 2026 — only two fewer than its entire total from last season. Gasly has been the primary points scorer, sitting in the top ten of the drivers’ standings ahead of Max Verstappen.
A Season of Difficult Incidents
The sabotage claims were not the only reason Alpine felt compelled to publish a public statement. The letter was also a response to a troubling accumulation of abuse directed at multiple drivers across the first three rounds of 2026, incidents which the team concedes it was too slow to address publicly.
Haas driver Esteban Ocon — Colapinto’s former Alpine team-mate — collided with the Argentinian in the Chinese Grand Prix. Ocon accepted full responsibility and apologised personally in the media pen and on social media. However, some Colapinto fans responded by sending Ocon death threats. The FIA confirmed it had reached out to Alpine and Haas, saying it was « deeply concerned » by the threats.
At Suzuka, Oliver Bearman suffered a 50G crash after approaching Colapinto’s car at a closing speed of approximately 50 kph — a product of the new 2026 energy deployment dynamics rather than any fault by Colapinto. The FIA reviewed the incident and deemed no further action necessary. Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu was equally clear that Colapinto was not to blame. Despite this, some fans directed abuse at Colapinto on social media, with several pundits — including Timo Glock and Jacques Villeneuve — also questioning his role. Alpine’s letter explicitly condemned this.
« The team condemns the hateful messages aimed towards Franco after last weekend’s race in Japan, the same way it condemns the abuse and threats that were aimed towards Esteban Ocon following the collision in China. Abuse of any kind to all drivers is unacceptable, and it was especially disappointing that it comes from a minority of fans of the team towards a driver who has given so much to the team in the past and is a Grand Prix winner for Alpine. »
— Alpine F1 Team, open letter
Looking Ahead
Alpine closed its letter on a forward-looking note, reaffirming its commitment to both drivers and announcing that Colapinto will travel to Argentina during the April break to reconnect with his fanbase. The team expressed eagerness to return to racing at Miami with a stronger package, following the five-week gap created by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.
The episode reflects a broader challenge facing Formula 1 in 2026: a sport with a genuinely global and passionate fanbase, but one where social media has created a direct and often unfiltered channel between supporters and the people at the centre of the sport. Alpine’s decision to respond at length — rather than simply issuing a brief denial — suggests the team felt the scale of the claims demanded an equally visible rebuttal. Whether that is enough to quiet the most agitated corners of the online conversation is another matter entirely.