Verstappen and Colapinto speak out against online abuse of team members

Two drivers, one message

Online abuse has become an unexpected theme of the build-up to the United States Grand Prix. In the same week, Max Verstappen and Franco Colapinto both used their media sessions to say that the hate directed at people around them has gone too far.

Verstappen's comments follow his GT World Challenge Europe debut at Portimao, where he drove the number 3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 alongside Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat. According to Crash.net and PlanetF1, Lulham touched another car and received a drive-through penalty, ending the team's hopes of a podium. Verstappen recovered to ninth, but Lulham was then targeted on social media.

What Verstappen said

PlanetF1 reports that Verstappen posted a statement on X after the race, saying everyone can have an opinion about what happened on track but that personal attacks are not acceptable. In Austin he went further. He said that for himself he does not care if abuse is aimed at him and that the trolls "can all eff off". He explained that the situation is different when the target is one of his drivers who is young and not used to such attention, adding that everyone makes mistakes.

He also placed some responsibility on platforms, saying the problem begins with social media companies that let people create as many troll accounts as they like, with no real names or addresses attached. Crash.net reports that he has spoken to Lulham and tries to keep him away from the comments.

Colapinto: the focus is on the team

Autosport reports that Alpine's Colapinto, 23, recorded a video message to fans after the Singapore Grand Prix, saying that directing hate at others does nothing for his career. Speaking ahead of the race in Austin, he said his mechanics and engineers had received a lot of hate, that it "just hurts me in general" and that it crossed a line for him. He pointed to Verstappen's statement as a similar example.

Autosport adds that mechanics who adjust a car between qualifying segments can be blamed for a poor session and then receive hateful messages. Alpine has taken steps to reduce the impact, including advice to keep personal social media accounts private and to avoid showing team logos. Colapinto said he does not know whether the messages went to the team's account or to individuals.

What comes next

No formal sanction, complaint or response from the platforms has been reported. Colapinto said he hopes his video improves the situation a little. In the meantime, both drivers are back on track: Colapinto is among the drivers in action at Austin, where the race starts on Sunday 25 October at 20:00 UTC, and Verstappen arrives with two wins and 12 podiums from the 17 races so far.