Ex-F1 Driver Christian Danner Slams Franco Colapinto's Performance, Labels Fans 'Extreme'
Why it matters: Franco Colapinto, a mid-season replacement at Alpine, has underperformed in F1 2025, drawing criticism from former F1 driver Christian Danner. The Argentine driver's passionate, at times aggressive, fan base has also come under scrutiny, raising concerns about online toxicity in the sport.
The big picture:
- Colapinto, after joining Alpine as a reserve driver, replaced Jack Doohan for Round 7 at Imola.
- Despite a promising start with Williams, he has yet to score points for Alpine and has made rookie errors, including a qualifying shunt at Imola and a crash during a recent Pirelli tyre test.
- Danner, also critical of Lewis Hamilton and Yuki Tsunoda's F1 2025 performance, stated Colapinto "doesn’t deliver anything tangible on the track."
- He described Colapinto's Argentinian fan base as "extreme" and "sensitive to criticism," leading to "unpleasant" online abuse, though he clarified it's not Colapinto's fault.
Between the lines:
- Incidents involving Colapinto's fans have previously been highlighted. Yuki Tsunoda reported abuse after an incident with Colapinto at Imola.
- Jack Doohan addressed "multiple Argentine outlets" for circulating a fake image mocking Colapinto's Imola crash, stressing it was "completely false."
- Colapinto acknowledged the issue, stating, "they are very passionate... some are a bit aggressive," and that he tries to "ban people that I can control." He emphasized focusing on driving despite online hate.
What's next: Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, is actively working to combat online abuse through its "United Against Online Abuse" initiative.