F1 team releases strong statement after being accused of 'sabotaging' own driver

Jack Otway
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:42:06 +0000

Alpine have issued a comprehensive 1,200-word statement firmly rejecting accusations that they have been deliberately undermining Franco Colapinto's performance to favour his teammate Pierre Gasly.

The Formula One outfit moved to quash the sabotage rumours whilst simultaneously defending their Argentine driver against a torrent of online abuse.

"Franco is our driver and the team has placed its trust in him, just as he has with the team," the statement read.

"That is an indication of the commitment we have to Franco and his place in the team with equal footing alongside Pierre."

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The team described any suggestions of sabotage or providing Colapinto with inferior machinery as "completely unfounded."

The disparity in results between the two drivers has been stark during the opening phase of the 2026 campaign.

Gasly currently occupies eighth position in the drivers' championship, having accumulated 15 points across the three completed races this season.

By contrast, Colapinto has managed to secure just a solitary point, though the 24-year-old is embarking on his maiden full campaign in the sport's top tier.

His French teammate, meanwhile, has competed in Formula One since 2017.

The sabotage allegations appear to have originated from last month's Chinese Grand Prix, where Gasly crossed the line in seventh place whilst Colapinto trailed home in tenth, some 49 seconds adrift of his more experienced colleague.

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Alpine confirmed that both Colapinto and Gasly have been "running with the same equipment, barring some small low-performance impacting parts in China due to switching gearbox components."

The team's decision to speak publicly was prompted in part by the wave of online hostility directed at Colapinto following his involvement in Oliver Bearman's high-speed accident during the Japanese Grand Prix.

Looking ahead, Alpine acknowledged that development pressures may occasionally mean upgrades reach one car before the other during the season.

However, the team pledged complete transparency regarding any such situations and emphasised that their objective would always be to provide both drivers with identical machinery wherever feasible.

The statement also provided insight into the working relationship between the two drivers, detailing how Colapinto and Gasly collaborate within the team structure.

Additionally, Alpine addressed the separate incident involving Esteban Ocon, noting that the driver accepted responsibility for his collision with Colapinto at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The team will next take to the track when the championship resumes in Miami during the first weekend of May.

The American race takes on added significance following the cancellation of both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds, which were scrapped due to the ongoing conflict affecting the Middle East region.