The FIA has issued a statement condemning online abuse aimed at the stewards after Franco Colapinto received a penalty in Zandvoort.
Franco Colapinto was handed a drive-through penalty for overtaking Yuki Tsunoda under yellow flags after Max Verstappen’s Lap 1 crash. Arvid Lindblad was also given the same penalty for overtaking Colapinto’s teammate Pierre Gasly. Further penalties were later given to Colapinto and Liam Lawson for failure to slow under a single waved yellow.
Many fans, particularly from Colapinto’s fanbase, were quick to voice their complaints on social media as they felt the penalties were too harsh – a sentiment shared by Colapinto.
Colapinto: “I feel they have been extremely harsh”
The Argentine said: “[It’s] tricky to judge in those conditions when you’re fighting on Lap 1, making a move and it’s all wet and damp and on the banking, and there are parts of the car flying around.
“I saw a very, very late yellow flag when I was finishing my overtake. And it was clearly much more dangerous to slam on the brakes and accelerate in the middle of the straight. On the banking and on the wet, when everyone was spinning. So it’s a very tricky one.
“I feel that, even though the rules are written, they should be much more flexible. And they should have the criteria to also understand what’s safer or a bit more unsafe.
“If someone is going 30km/h slower in the same part of the track, you’re overtaking them and a yellow flag comes in, there’s not a lot you can do. It’s very tricky to react to that. I feel they have been extremely harsh. It’s their job. But it’s also their job to be a bit flexible and understand the situation.
“I think especially what is more dangerous than the other, when the grip is so low, and the conditions are like that. To me, it’s just a bit harsh. I think for both, for me and Lindblad, but especially a drive-through, it kills your race. It feels too much. But it is what it is.”
Major Colapinto sponsor says stewards are ‘killing the integrity of F1’
The penalties sparked an angry response from Chief Marketing Officer of Mercado Libre, Sean Summers. Mercado Libre, a popular online marketplace platform in Latin America, is a main sponsor of the Alpine driver.
Summers wrote on social media: “The stewards are killing the integrity of F1.”
“This season they are proving to be horrible and impacting race results. Incompetence? Dishonesty? Both? Something is seriously broken in that organisation’s culture.”
Consequently, this prompted Alpine to release their own statement saying that they accept the penalties given to their driver and that they trust the stewards to apply sanctions as they see fit.
“As a team, we work closely with the sport’s governing body on the rules of engagement on track to ensure fair and exciting racing and, most importantly, safety.
“We fully trust the FIA and the Stewards when it comes to the policing of these rules and the application of sporting penalties during a live race scenario.
“We believe the penalties applied for Yellow Flag Infringements during the opening laps of the Dutch Grand Prix were indeed harsh, but acknowledge they fit the punishment based on the letter of the law and were consistently applied across all competitors and is something we can review and learn from as a team.”
Statement released by the FIA
The FIA’s United Against Online Abuse coalition then issued a statement condemning online abuse of its stewards following the extreme reactions to the Dutch GP penalties on social media.
“Following the Dutch Grand Prix, FIA stewards were targeted with online abuse after applying sporting penalties in line with FIA regulations,” the statement read.
“The United Against Online Abuse Coalition condemns all forms of abuse and harassment. Disagreement with decisions is part of sport, but it must never justify threats or personal attacks.
“In 2023, the FIA launched the United Against Online Abuse coalition after a steward faced targeted abuse following the United States Grand Prix.
“We urge everyone engaging with our sport to do so with respect and responsibility, online and offline.”
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