In the last race in Japan, there was a violent impact against the barriers by Oliver Bearman, who, approaching the Spoon curve, avoided a collision at the last moment with the Alpine of Franco Colapinto. The Argentine, at that moment ahead of the Haas Englishman, suddenly swerved to the left at a lower speed than Bearman’s (due to the Alpine’s energy recharging), with the latter losing control of the car and ending up against the protections. Fortunately, despite the 50G impact, Bearman only suffered a knee contusion.
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An episode that will be discussed in the meeting scheduled for April 9, but what happened has generated shameful phenomena online: Colapinto, in fact, has been the victim of hate messages and threats from numerous people, particularly on social media, who held him responsible for what happened. Similar cases had already occurred in the past against other drivers such as Jack Doohan and Esteban Ocon, indirectly connected to Colapinto for two different cases: while the Australian received death threats last year before being replaced by the Argentine in Miami, the Haas Frenchman had come into contact with Colapinto in the recent Chinese GP, also receiving gruesome messages here.
In Japan, however, the ‘culprit’ was deemed Colapinto, with the accident once again triggering messages from haters, which have once again come under the microscope not only of the FIA with the “United Against Online Abuse” campaign, but also of the South American driver’s management: Bullet Sports Management.
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The latter intervened with an appeal to the Alpine driver’s fans, reassuring them that they are defending Colapinto despite what is happening: “Franco is receiving unjustified criticism and hate, so let’s show him all the love and support he deserves. We have no influence over the fans of other drivers, and they probably don’t even follow us. It is not our responsibility to worry about their fandoms. Let’s leave that task to their teams and staff. We are grateful that the majority of Franco’s fans are kind and supportive. If we can reach that small but loud minority that is creating problems, it would be fantastic. Guys, don’t worry. Franco is in excellent hands and has all the support he needs. He is stronger than you think, and negative comments or insults will not affect him. Don’t waste your energy on those who hate you. Instead, focus it on supporting Franco. It is surrounded by the right people, who ensure he feels safe and happy, so you can rest easy”.
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