Alpine refutes claims it is sabotaging Colapinto

Alpine has issued an open letter refuting claims of fans that it is sabotaging Franco Colapinto’s chances of scoring points, as well as while condemning social media abuse against drivers.

Colapinto scored his first points for Alpine in the Chinese Grand Prix but was unable to match Pierre Gasly’s level of performance in Australia and Japan, and has been classified behind his teammate in all competitive sessions so far this season. Alpine says it has seen claims that Colapinto is being deliberately given inferior equipment, something the team strongly denied.

“As the team and the sport enters a short break and reflects on the first three races of the new season, the team would also like to clarify the concern of some fans regarding parity between both our cars,” the team's statement read. “The team endeavors to put the two fastest cars on track and provide equal opportunity for both drivers to be competitive and score important points for the team in the championship.

“In some instances, given the need to fast-track parts and carefully manage the manufacturing process, the team is only able to bring select parts or upgrades to some events. However, that is never the intended or desired approach, as, if the part is a performance upgrade as we hope and intend, then we want it available on both cars immediately. This has remained the case this year and both Pierre and Franco have been running with the same equipment, barring some small low-performance impacting parts in China due to switching gearbox components.

“Franco is our driver and the team has placed its trust in him, just as he has with the team. That is an indication of the commitment we have to Franco and his place in the team with equal footing alongside Pierre.

“Any questions about sabotage or not giving Franco the same car are completely unfounded, which is why the team felt the need to speak out. There might be times this year when pushing in the development race that upgrades come to one car first, which the team will communicate and be completely transparent about. That being said, the aim will always remain to bring upgrades to both cars where possible.

“It’s absolutely not in the team’s interests to not score points and any suggestion of self sabotage isn’t conducive to that ultimate end goal. From the opening races, the team finds itself in a strong position and the team is not counting on its laurels and is staying grounded. At the last two races, the team has been the fourth-fastest car and we know we have to work incredibly hard to stay there and have two cars regularly in with a chance of scoring points.

“The team back at Enstone are working incredibly hard and are fueled by you, the fans, to keep pushing in the hope of more good results. Both Pierre and Franco are also working very hard and will be at Enstone during the break with the engineers and on the simulator, finding every last bit of performance.

“One of the things that goes unnoticed and isn’t seen often enough is how hard the drivers work together and share information. Pierre and Franco regularly come to each other’s desks in the engineering office to share data and feedback. As a team, we’re fortunate to have someone of Pierre’s experience and, as can be seen from his performances in the first few races, he’s a class act and can perform at an incredibly high level on a consistent basis.

“The engineering group is very much united and all pulling in the same direction. That includes both Pierre and Franco. There’s no withholding of information or keeping performance tricks hidden away. That is very much a thing of the past and not part of modern Formula 1, where you need every bit of input and data to be successful as a team. This is especially the case with these new cars, power units, and strategic way of going racing on track.”

The lengthy letter also called on fans to remain kind and respectful on social media, with Alpine also condemning “hate and abuse” aimed towards Esteban Ocon following a collision with Colapinto in China, and similarly towards Colapinto himself as a result of Oliver Bearman’s high-speed crash in Japan.