‘Stop harassing my family’ plea made as FIA respond to racist social media abuse

The FIA is responding to a surge of racist social media abuse targeting Formula 1 drivers, including Jack Doohan and Yuki Tsunoda. This wave of online harassment has been linked to fervent fans of Argentine driver Franco Colapinto, leading Doohan to publicly plead for his family to be left alone.

The core issue: An on-track incident during practice for the Imola Grand Prix, where Yuki Tsunoda narrowly avoided a collision with Franco Colapinto and gestured in his direction, sparked outrage among some of Colapinto's supporters. This led to a barrage of hateful and racist remarks directed at Tsunoda and subsequently at Jack Doohan.

Driver reactions: Yuki Tsunoda acknowledged the abuse, stating, "It’s been normal that you get frustrated if you have traffic, and I got it multiple times. I think I have the right to say something, but I didn’t say something wrong thing, or a very bad thing."

He emphasized the need for fans to control their passion and direct it constructively, adding, "I’m saying this… not because of me or not what they say to me but they said too much things to Doohan, and I don’t think he was driving in a comfortable way."

Tsunoda also suggested that F1 should intervene if the situation worsens.

Franco Colapinto admitted his fans can be "harsh" and "extremely passionate," stressing the need for respect. "There is a lot of hate on social media, and that’s what I would think. So, of course, we always try and want – for all the drivers – to keep it respectful and keep it calm there."

Fabricated evidence: Jack Doohan revealed that fabricated screenshots were being circulated to portray him and his family negatively. He shared an example where an image of his father, Mick Doohan, was edited to appear as if he had posted a mocking comment about Colapinto crashing.

Doohan stated, "Please stop harassing my family. I didn’t think it would have to get to this point."

FIA's stance: FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem issued a statement condemning the abuse. "The passion and excitement that we feel for our sport should unite us and never be twisted into abuse or hate. I stand in full support of Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto, and I thank them for speaking out against the growing issue of online abuse in motorsport."

Ben Sulayem affirmed the FIA's commitment to tackling online abuse through initiatives like the "United Against Online Abuse" campaign, aiming to create a safer and more respectful environment in motorsport.

Precedent: This is not the first instance of aggressive fan behavior from Argentine motorsport supporters. Similar online attacks were previously directed at IndyCar drivers, including former F1 hopefuls Theo Pourchaire and Callum Ilott, by fans of Agustin Canapino.