Yuki Tsunoda makes F1 demand after vile racist abuse from Franco Colapinto fans

Yuki Tsunoda Demands F1 Intervention After Racist Abuse

Yuki Tsunoda, the AlphaTauri driver, has urged Formula 1 to take action if the online racist abuse he received from fans of Franco Colapinto escalates.

The Incident: Tsunoda was subjected to a barrage of vile messages in Spanish on social media from Colapinto's followers after a minor on-track incident during the first practice session for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Tsunoda had been impeded by Colapinto on a flying lap.

Tsunoda's Response: Speaking after qualifying, where both drivers were eliminated in Q1, Tsunoda revealed the abuse was not solely directed at him.

"I heard about it. To be honest, I guess it's not just about me, if I heard correctly. They're going everywhere, to be honest. They're going for Jack [Doohan], and he didn't do anything wrong, and they're going for it. So that's a bit unnecessary."

He further elaborated on the on-track situation:

"It's normal that if you have traffic, and I caught it multiple times, you get frustrated. I think I have the right to say something. I didn't say the wrong thing, or a very bad thing. I just said [expressed] my frustration, and that's it.

"I know they are supporting their own country's driver, but there's always a line [crossed] that they say something, I guess. And I'm saying this because it's not [just] to me, but they say things to Doohan.

"It's good that they have energy, but control it. I feel like they can use the energy in the right way, a better way."

Call for F1 Action: Tsunoda emphasized the need for intervention if the situation worsens:

"If it continues and it gets worse and worse, then at some point F1 should say something."