Briatore threatens Colapinto ‘will stop talking to everybody’ in stark warning to media

In the closing stages of the Spanish Grand Prix, Gasly was running ahead of his teammate on older tyres, although he was still due to make a pit stop. Colapinto was closing rapidly and had Oscar Piastri right behind him, prompting the Argentine to ask Alpine over team radio to let him through so he would not lose valuable time and risk being caught by the McLaren.

Gasly did not immediately move aside for his team-mate, instead continuing with his own strategy, which led to a heated reaction from Colapinto over the radio as he repeatedly called for the positions to be swapped.

Gasly eventually pitted, allowing the Argentinian to retain seventh place, meaning he ultimately did not lose the position as a result of his team-mate. However, the radio exchanges quickly went viral, with a section of Colapinto's Argentine fanbase subsequently directing heavy online abuse towards Gasly.

The situation has not gone down well with Flavio Briatore either. Speaking to ESPN, the Alpine executive took a firm stance on the matter, also taking into account similar incidents involving Colapinto in recent months. Briatore criticised the behaviour of some Argentine fans on social media, stressing that their support for Colapinto should remain respectful and loyal.

He also warned that, if the online abuse and anger surrounding the driver continue, Alpine could reconsider its relationship with Argentine media, including potentially putting an end to interviews with Colapinto.

He then added: “We need to support him, but support him in the right way, not what we are seeing on social media. We need to support Franco, we welcome the Argentinian people, but we need to be correct as well.”

Gasly himself addressed what happened in the aftermath of the Madrid Grand Prix, speaking candidly about the backlash he received. The Frenchman admitted that he finds the increasingly toxic nature of the digital environment surrounding Formula 1 concerning, particularly when online abuse goes beyond the driver himself and targets family members or partners.

The Alpine driver acknowledged that top athletes have always been exposed to criticism and online attention, but stressed that there is a clear difference between being disliked and facing personal attacks or threats. In his view, the latter has no place in the sport.

Gasly also highlighted how different the current environment is compared with previous eras. Modern drivers are exposed to a level of digital criticism and hostility that their predecessors did not have to deal with, making it increasingly important to find ways of creating a healthier online environment around the sport.