Flavio Briatore issues ultimatum to Franco Colapinto fans over online abuse
Pierre Gasly was subjected to online abuse
Flavio Briatore has issued an ultimatum to Franco Colapinto’s Argentine fans, telling them to stop abusing his F1 rivals or Colapinto won’t be speaking to the Argentine media.
In fact, he warned there would be a complete media blackout.
Flavio Briatore warns Franco Colapinto fans over abuse of F1 rivals
The Alpine executive advisor was responding to a storm that erupted after a team order row between Colapinto and Pierre Gasly at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Gasly spent almost the entire race at the Madring running the hard tyres that he started on.
Colapinto, on a different strategy and with Oscar Piastri closing in, came up behind his teammate and told Alpine he did “not want to lose time”.
But with no team order issued, Colapinto voiced his frustration.
“Swap. Swap. Hello? Swap! Swap!” he yelled to his race engineer Stuart Barlow.
He followed that up: “Hey! Swap! For f**ks sake! If I lose this to Piastri.”
Told that Gasly was about to pit, Colapinto replied: “This is f**king unbelievable! Yeah, great! For f**ks sake!”
Gasly and his family were subjected to online abuse by Colapinto fans.
“Personally, I find it a little bit disturbing for our sport,” he told PlanetF1.com and other media in Baku.
“I’m a top athlete, so I know I’m exposed. It’s always been the case.
“But to that extent of threat, attacks, I find it completely inappropriate, especially when it reaches out to family members, girlfriend, etc. I don’t think that should be the case.”
However, he’s not the driver to be abused by Colapinto fans with Yuki Tsunoda targeted last season and Esteban Ocon earlier this year.
Briatore says it has to stop.
The Italian warned that if it doesn’t, he will impose a media blackout – first with Argentinian media and then with “everyone”.
“I say this especially to Argentines, because there is no problem with Italians or whoever,” he told ESPN. “If you want to support Franco, do so in a respectful and loyal way, not as I see on social networks.
“If this continues, there will come a time when Franco will stop talking to everyone.
“I see a lot of anger from the fans over and over again, for no reason.
“If it continues to happen, we will stop giving interviews to Argentine television. We will stop everything because what we read there makes no sense.”
The Italian says instead of abusing Colapinto’s rivals, his fans should be happy that they have a good driver in Formula 1.
More on the Alpine team order row and the fall-out
Untelevised Colapinto team radio captures sweary Spanish GP rant
Gasly calls out online abuse after Colapinto Alpine team order saga
“You’re lucky to have a promising driver in Argentina,” he said. “Franco is in full development. Last year it was already very good and this year it is much better.
“We need them to support him in the right way, with a spirit of sportsmanship. Not what we read on social networks.
“Support Franco, who is Argentine. Welcome to the Argentines, but be respectful too.”
Colapinto was asked about Briatore’s threat when he spoken with PlanetF1.com and other media in Baku.
Told what the Italian had said, he replied with a chuckle: “I’d have less media to do.”
But on a serious note, he added: “It’s a thing that no one wants. We need to work to improve it in every aspect of the sport.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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