Argentinian fans of Juncos Hollinger driver Agustin Canapino have been making threats against Theo Pourchaire in the wake of this past weekend’s Detroit Grand Prix.
Public acknowledgement of the online abuse came to light Monday evening when Arrow McLaren released a joint statement with JHR denouncing the behavior.
The incident that caused the apparent anger came on one of the race’s many restarts on lap 60. Pourchaire misjudged his braking zone into the hairpin, slid sideways while trying to keep has car under control, and then collided with Canapino as the Argentinian was attempting to turn into the corner.
Canapino was running sixth at the time and lost three positions due to the contact, while Pourchaire was given a penalty by race control for the incident.
The contact was not even one of the most memorable moments in the race, which featured eight caution periods and multiple instances of drivers making the same mistake as Pourchaire.
“The past 24 hours have unfortunately provided our teams with a stark reminder about the necessity for respect and civility in our online interactions,” the joint Arrow McLaren and Juncos Hollinger Racing statement read.
“Social media allows us to engage with our fans around the world, but it is important that we interact with each other in a respectful and safe environment. We will not tolerate any form of abuse or discrimination, and those participating in such actions are not welcome in our online community and will be blocked.
“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES delivers dynamic action on the racetrack and incredible access for fans, but we must remember that behind the wheel, the pit wall or the monitor, we are all human beings.
“It is vital that we collectively maintain a safe and welcoming community for all involved.”
This is not the first instance of online abuse being aimed at drivers who have had on-track battles with the Argentinian driver since he joined IndyCar in 2023.
His fans attacked Callum Ilott virtually over two separate incidents last year when he was a team-mate to the then-rookie Canapino.
The abuse last season led to statements being made by JHR and IndyCar, acknowledging that the conduct exhibited by fans of the popular driver had no place in the American series.
It appears that Pourchaire has received a similar level of hate directed his way in the day following this weekend’s race.
“I’m sad I received so much hate and death threats in the last 24 hours for such a small incident in the Detroit GP,” read Pourchaire’s social media post.
“I hope people can understand that we are all humans and we can make mistakes. But it’s not normal to abuse people online.. Please be kind to each other”
At the time of publication, five hours after the joint statement was released on Arrow McLaren’s website, Juncos Hollinger Racing has not posted the statement on its platforms.
There is no mention of the abuse, or of the statement denouncing it, on Juncos’ website, and the team’s social media pages have only re-shared the post that was originally made by Arrow McLaren.
Canapino has also remained silent so far, and has not acknowledged the abuse or the team’s statement.
JHR co-owner Ricardo Juncos appeared to have a cavalier attitude about the incidents last season, particularly when speaking with Argentinian news outlets.
Ricardo Juncos has not yet made any public comments about this latest example of fans of his countryman driver overstepping acceptable levels of commentary.
[Update] On Tuesday morning, Juncos Hollinger Racing released its own statement on social media, as did Agustin Canapino.
Notably, Canapino’s response indicates that he has not seen the death threats himself and goes on to say that he ‘won’t allow’ accusations of improper behavior to continue.
