Pierre Gasly has revealed that he was the victim of social media abuse following an incident with his Alpine team-mate Franco Colapinto at the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago. The Frenchman said the abuse included threats against himself, his family, and his girlfriend.
The incident occurred at the end of the race at the Madring circuit in Madrid, when Colapinto, on fresher tyres, caught up with Gasly, who was on old tyres and still had to make a pit stop. Gasly remained focused on his own race, while his slower pace allowed Oscar Piastri, who was behind Colapinto, to close in rapidly. The team warned Gasly that his team-mate was approaching as they entered the final three laps, but he asked them not to speak to him and held his position, prompting Colapinto to call over the radio for a position swap.
Gasly eventually pitted at the end of that lap, allowing Colapinto to go on to finish seventh, ahead of Piastri. The incident subsequently sparked a wave of abuse directed at Gasly on social media. Speaking in Baku ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Gasly revealed that his family and girlfriend were also targeted.
“I think personally I find it a little bit disturbing for our sport. I think to the extent you know I'm a top athlete, so I know I'm exposed, it's always been the case. But to that extent of threats and attacks, I find it a little bit, well even completely inappropriate, especially when it reaches out to family members, girlfriend, etc,” Gasly told the media, including Motorsport.com, on Wednesday in Azerbaijan.
The 30-year-old reflected on how things have changed with the rise of social media and urged the series to find ways to make F1 a healthier environment, stressing that certain lines are now crossed "too many times".
“I don't think that should be the case. I leave it there, but things were not that way in the past and I think as a sport we just need to find a way to make it a healthier place because you're exposed. You're going to be attacked, you can be liked, you can be disliked, it's completely fine. But there is a certain line that should not be crossed just because you're behind the screen on a keyboard and these lines are crossed a bit too many times,” Gasly said.
Since arriving in F1 two years ago, Colapinto has enjoyed huge support from his home country, with Argentine fans having become a regular presence at almost every grand prix. However, that support has also had a darker side online, with abuse directed at drivers becoming an increasingly common issue.
Colapinto himself condemned what happened to Gasly in Baku on Wednesday and called on fans to put an end to it, while also urging his supporters to focus on his results as the Argentine has become a regular points scorer in F1 this season. “We are always working as a team, and it's not nice to see it, so hopefully they can stop it,” Colapinto said.
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