The FIA, Formula 1's governing body, has strongly condemned the online abuse directed at its race stewards following their decision to penalize Alpine driver Franco Colapinto at Zandvoort. The ruling sparked a wave of negative reactions, not only from fans but also from the Argentinian driver's sponsor.
Colapinto and Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad were both handed drive-through penalties for overtaking under double-waved yellow flags on lap 1 of the Dutch Grand Prix. The incident occurred when yellow flags were shown following a major crash involving Max Verstappen of Red Bull, which neutralized the final marshal sector until the start-finish straight. Colapinto overtook Yuki Tsunoda exiting Zandvoort's final corner, while Lindblad drafted past Pierre Gasly before crossing the finish line.
The FIA stewards noted in their ruling that Colapinto was behind Tsunoda entering Turn 14 and overtook in the double yellow flag sector before the line at the end of lap 1. They acknowledged the complications caused by significant debris on track as mitigating circumstances but still applied the penalty according to the rules. Colapinto felt the penalty was "extremely harsh," as he overtook just moments after the yellows were shown.
The controversy escalated when Colapinto's sponsor, Mercado Libre, through its chief marketing officer Sean Summers, questioned the integrity of FIA stewards on social media. This sparked a torrent of threats and harassment against stewards, as well as Alpine's social media accounts, which were perceived as not supporting Colapinto enough. In response, Alpine expressed full trust in the FIA and stewards in enforcing racing rules.
The FIA emphasized that safety is the top priority and yellow flag infringements are treated with utmost seriousness. Despite mitigating factors, the rules must be upheld to maintain the integrity of the sport. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting race officials' decisions, even when they may seem unfair to some parties.
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