Alpine publishes a letter and clarifies the situation of Franco Colapinto
Given the conspiracy theories against the Argentine that were published on networks, the Enstone team came out to stop the ideas of favoritism.
Alpine was the team with the greatest difference between teammates in the Japanese GP classification. In Q2, a stage reached by the two representatives of the team, Frenchman Pierre Gasly was 753 thousandths faster than Franco Colapinto. The gap was similar to that of Australia (769); while in China the light was the smallest between the two in the 2026 qualy (354). The Argentine driver is having a hard time finding that fast lap so necessary to be able to start further ahead and so that his races are not tied to the logical vicissitudes of the competitions (safety cars, pit stops, etc.).
In Shanghai, the closest place among Enstone’s pupils, Colapinto had his best performance since his arrival in F1, regardless of the result (in Azerbaijan 2024 he was eighth). The inopportune safety car left him second at one point and from there he showed his qualities to defend himself against the attack of more powerful cars, he made great maneuvers and finished in tenth place, scoring his first point with the French team. In Japan, that qualifying gap left him in 15th place at the start and, with another safety car that complicated it and a pace that was later not enough to advance, he was stuck in 16th place. Meanwhile, Gasly was seventh at Suzuka and is one of six drivers to score in all three races.
After the competition in Japan, social networks were flooded with Colapinto fans who questioned Alpine’s equal treatment for their pilots. Historically, most teams have one driver and another who is number two. In the case of the Enstone team, it is absolutely logical that the first is Gasly, due to his track record, work in F1 and the 12 million dollars they pay him annually. That, of course, does not mean that their two drivers are not given the same material to race with. In fact, Alpine, like any other team, wants its two cars to go fast and finish in the points because those units, at the end of the year, translate into money.. The distribution of prizes that is carried out at the end of the year is the percentage that corresponds to the position in the Constructors’ World Championship and the beans added. Thus, thinking that a team can sabotage one of its cars seems impossible.
Given the hypothesis of sabotage against Franco, the Alpine team published an extensive letter in which it clarified the issue.
“As the team and the sport enter a short break and reflect on the first three races of the new season, we want to clarify the concerns of some fans regarding the equality between our two cars. The team strives to put the two fastest cars on track and provide equal opportunities for both drivers to be competitive and score important points for the team in the championship. In some cases, due to the need to streamline the production of parts and carefully manage the manufacturing process, the team can only bring specific parts or improvements to certain events. However, this is never the intended or desired approach, as if the part is a performance upgrade, as we expect, we want it to be available immediately on both cars. This year, Pierre and Franco have been racing with the same equipment, except for some small underperforming parts that affected performance in China due to the change of gearbox components.
“Franco is our driver and the team has placed its trust in him, as he has in the team. This demonstrates our commitment to Franco and his place in the team on equal terms with Pierre. Any questions about sabotage or about not giving Franco the same car are completely unfounded, which is why the team felt the need to speak out on the matter. It is possible that this year, during the final stretch of development, the improvements will be implemented first in a car, something that the team will communicate with complete transparency. That said, the objective It will always be to introduce improvements in both cars whenever possible. It is not at all in the team’s interest to not score points, and any attempt at self-sabotage does not contribute to achieving that final goal. Since the first races, the team is in a solid position, but it is not confident and keeps its feet on the ground. In the last two races, the team has been the fourth fastest, and we know that we have to work hard to stay there and have two cars with the possibility of scoring points on a regular basis.
“The Enstone team is working tirelessly, motivated by you, the fans, to keep pushing in the hope of more good results. Pierre and Franco are also working hard and will be at Enstone during the break with the engineers and in the simulator, looking for maximum performance. One of the things that often goes unnoticed and is not seen often enough is the great effort the drivers make to work together and share information. Pierre and Franco often meet in the engineering office to share data and comments. As a team, we are lucky to have someone with Pierre’s experience and, as can be seen from his performances in the first few races, he is an exceptional driver capable of consistently performing at a very high level.”
“The engineering team is very close-knit and everyone is working in the same direction. This includes Pierre and Franco. There is no hiding information or tricks to improve performance. That is a thing of the past and is not part of modern Formula 1, where all the information and data is needed to be successful as a team. This is especially true with these new cars, power units and track racing strategy.”
“As racing fans, we are looking forward to racing again and hope to return to Miami in a few weeks. We will take advantage of this break to analyze the first three races, look for ways to improve and continue to strive to come back even stronger. Franco, for his part, is excited to return to Argentina, enjoy the passion of the fans and return their unconditional support. On the track, our rivals will not rest or sit still, so neither will we.”
An open letter from the team.
🔗 https://t.co/jvD0b8rwfN pic.twitter.com/SzxHUTLcZl
— BWT Alpine Formula One Team (@AlpineF1Team) April 2, 2026
Besides, Alpine took the opportunity to take a stand on network abuse that Estan Ocon suffered, after the accident involving Colapinto in China, and that Franco also suffered after the Oliver Bearman crash in Japan.
“The team has already taken a strong stance condemning any hateful, abusive, threatening or harassing behavior online and on social media, and has issued statements not only condemning it, but also encouraging people to enjoy social media responsibly and follow community standards. Our stance on this has not changed and remains the same. Social media should be a space to bring people together, share experiences and encourage constructive debate. In such a competitive and complex sport, there will always be different opinions and disagreements, but “We encourage all fans of each team and driver to express themselves with respect and kindness.”
“This is not about a particular group of fans, but about the entire Formula 1 community coming together to enjoy the sport that we all love and are passionate about. The team condemns the hate messages directed at Franco after last weekend’s race in Japan, in the same way as it condemns the insults and threats directed at Esteban Ocon after the collision between both cars at the Chinese Grand Prix. The two drivers competed intensely and fought for position. Esteban took full responsibility and apologized to Franco, actively seeking him out in the press area and also apologizing on social media. The insults that followed were contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship and it was a mistake not to have reported them sooner. Any type of insult towards the drivers is unacceptable, and it was especially disappointing that it came from a minority of the team’s fans towards a driver who has contributed so much to the team in the past and who has won a Grand Prix with Alpine.
“Subsequently, the team also condemns the hateful behavior towards Franco following the incident with Ollie Bearman at Suzuka. First and foremost, the safety and well-being of the drivers is the most important thing, and fortunately Ollie is fine. Approach speeds are a characteristic of these cars and, as the FIA has indicated, will be carefully reviewed in the coming weeks. The FIA also reviewed the incident involving Franco and Ollie during the race and considered that no further action was necessary.”
“The team closely monitors its channels and uses specific tools to moderate comments that do not comply with our community standards. Additionally, we are in constant dialogue with Formula 1 and the FIA on this issue, and we want to address and mitigate this in the future.”
