The Alpine F1 Team has published a lengthy open letter addressing the "social media abuse, threats, bullying [and] hateful behavior" targeted at its drivers, while also taking the extraordinary step of denying allegations of internal sabotage. The letter comes after a difficult start to the season for rookie Franco Colapinto, who has been significantly outpaced by teammate Pierre Gasly.
The team felt compelled to speak out after receiving direct messages from fans. "Any questions about sabotage are completely unfounded," the letter stated. It further explained that while strategic prioritization may occur during a race weekend, there is no malicious intent. "There might be times where we have to prioritize one car over the other... There is no self-sabotage. That would not be conducive to the ultimate end goal."
The letter also addressed the specific abuse Colapinto received following an on-track incident with Oliver Bearman in China and the collision with teammate Esteban Ocon. Alpine emphasized that its primary concern is driver safety, noting that Bearman was okay after the crash. The team's decision to publicly deny sabotage rumors is highly unusual in Formula 1 and highlights the intense scrutiny and online pressure facing the squad under the leadership of Flavio Briatore.
Source: youtube.com