The world of Formula 1 has witnessed serious verbal abuse aimed at Jack Doohan and Yuki Tsunoda during and after the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola, perpetrated by fans of Franco Colapinto
The Made in Italy and Emilia-Romagna GP, held in Imola (SIGN THE PETITION LAUNCHED BY GPK), delivered plenty of excitement on the track—but also left an unpleasant aftermath, particularly on social media. Across major posts on X and Instagram, numerous supporters of Franco Colapinto—who rejoined the grid at Alpine, replacing Doohan—targeted Jack Doohan and Yuki Tsunoda with extremely harsh and offensive remarks.
As reported by Motorsport.com, the bizarre trigger behind the outrage is worth noting. A parody account impersonating Mick Doohan—legendary MotoGP champion and father of Jack—posted an Instagram Story mocking Colapinto’s qualifying crash. Argentine media mistakenly took it as authentic, resulting in a flood of nonsensical and aggressive comments directed at both Jack Doohan and Yuki Tsunoda.
Tsunoda, in particular, was criticized by these so-called “fans” for a minor and virtually forgotten incident involving Colapinto during Friday’s free practice. The insults were “justified” by Colapinto supporters merely because Tsunoda gestured at the Argentine driver during the altercation.
Alpine’s Firm Stance
In response to the wave of abuse, the Alpine team—now under the leadership of Flavio Briatore—issued a firm statement in collaboration with the FIA and F1:
“These fans may be extremely passionate, but they must show respect to Jack Doohan and Yuki Tsunoda. Both are exceptional individuals, highly talented drivers, and ambassadors of our sport who, along with their families, deserve to be treated with dignity—not subjected to online abuse from those hiding behind anonymous profiles“.
“Formula 1 is a tightly knit community, and we all condemn such actions. We continue to work across the sport to collectively report and block abusive content on social media platforms. However, more must be done by these platforms to prevent the spread of vile comments and online harassment”.
This incident, however, is not an isolated case. In fact, it follows a previous episode reported just days ago: “Let us all remember that behind the visor of these superhuman athletes is a person—a human being with emotions, a family, friends, and loved ones. As a team, we do not tolerate online abuse and urge all fans of this sport we cherish to act with kindness and respect “.
Photos: BWT Alpine Formula One Team
