Franco Colapinto: F1 Drivers Must Speak Louder Against Online Abuse

Franco Colapinto has spoken out about the growing issue of online abuse faced by Formula 1 drivers. The Argentine believes athletes need to raise their voices and set boundaries so fans understand the impact of their words.

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, Franco Colapinto revealed that despite initiatives like United Against Online Abuse and AI tools to filter hateful comments, many drivers still face daily online attacks. "That'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," he said.

Colapinto stressed the importance of helping fans realize how much their words can affect drivers' mental health. "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," he added.

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According to Colapinto, many athletes end up deleting their social media accounts due to the pressure. He called for greater awareness of the impact of every comment, especially in an increasingly harsh digital age.

Colapinto also highlighted the role of other drivers who sometimes add fuel to the fire, for example through media statements. He cited the incident of Oliver Bearman's heavy crash in Japan, where Bearman mentioned Colapinto's role on a podcast, while Colapinto felt it should have been handled privately.

"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," Colapinto said.

Colapinto admitted that hateful messages do not particularly affect him personally, but he finds it more problematic when they target his family or close ones. He hopes fans, including his Argentine supporters, remain passionate but within reasonable limits.