Pierre Gasly calls online abuse targeting him and family members completely inappropriate after Spanish Grand Prix incident.

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly has condemned online abuse directed at him and his family members following a team strategy incident during the Spanish Grand Prix two weeks ago. The French driver described the harassment as completely inappropriate and disturbing for Formula 1. The controversy arose when Franco Colapinto repeatedly requested Alpine to move him ahead of Gasly during the race, making several increasingly frustrated radio calls demanding a position swap.

Gasly explained that he and the team had discussed the situation and clarified there was no actual call for a swap during the race. The Frenchman had spent almost the entire race running on hard tyres from his starting strategy. The incident led to threatening messages and attacks directed at Gasly through social media channels. The driver emphasized that while he accepts criticism as a top athlete, the abuse crossed acceptable boundaries by targeting his family members and girlfriend.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem issued a strong condemnation of the abuse directed at Gasly and his family, describing the behavior as completely unacceptable. Ben Sulayem highlighted his United Against Online Abuse initiative as part of efforts to combat harassment in motorsport. He called on governing bodies, teams, drivers, fans and social media platforms to take responsibility for challenging abusive behavior and creating an environment based on respect.