Dec.6 - Franco Colapinto's difficult end to the 2025 season has been matched by a noticeable shift in tone - the once irrepressibly upbeat rookie now sounding increasingly irritated off the track.
The Alpine driver, who has been retained by 2026 after a period of uncertainty, has struggled for form and, in Las Vegas, erupted over the post-race fireworks.
"I can't hear a thing," he complained, before adding: "There are dogs ... the animals. It's 10 pm. Do they think it's Christmas, you idiots? Do you know how much this costs, what the f**?
"The money they spend on this nonsense."
And in Abu Dhabi, Colapinto turned his frustration toward Formula 1's handling of the online harassment storm that engulfed Kimi Antonelli after Red Bull's accusation in Qatar that the Mercedes rookie had acted deliberately.
The 22-year-old Argentinian said the contrast between how drivers are punished for minor language slip-ups and how influential figures face no sanction for sparking "hate" was "unfair".
"I was just thinking about the fines we receive for using profanity on television or in the media, compared to people who speak quickly without thinking, without having all the information, and who make statements that consequently generate hate," he said.
"This creates a much bigger problem, and they face no consequences. They simply issue a statement, and everything goes back to normal. I don't know, it all seems unfair to me. Perhaps it should change.
"It's probably something that deserves to be revisited."
About the author
Victor R. López is a Venezuelan journalist from Tumeremo who focuses on Formula 1 and motorsport. He covers driver news, race weekends and key stories from across the sport for F1-Fansite.com.
Related topics
Dec.6 - Franco Colapinto's difficult end to the 2025 season has been matched by a noticeable shift in tone - the once irrepressibly upbeat rookie now sounding increasingly irritated off the track.
The Alpine driver, who has been retained by 2026 after a period of uncertainty, has struggled for form and, in Las Vegas, erupted over the post-race fireworks.
"I can't hear a thing," he complained, before adding: "There are dogs ... the animals. It's 10 pm. Do they think it's Christmas, you idiots? Do you know how much this costs, what the f**?
"The money they spend on this nonsense."
And in Abu Dhabi, Colapinto turned his frustration toward Formula 1's handling of the online harassment storm that engulfed Kimi Antonelli after Red Bull's accusation in Qatar that the Mercedes rookie had acted deliberately.
The 22-year-old Argentinian said the contrast between how drivers are punished for minor language slip-ups and how influential figures face no sanction for sparking "hate" was "unfair".
"I was just thinking about the fines we receive for using profanity on television or in the media, compared to people who speak quickly without thinking, without having all the information, and who make statements that consequently generate hate," he said.
"This creates a much bigger problem, and they face no consequences. They simply issue a statement, and everything goes back to normal. I don't know, it all seems unfair to me. Perhaps it should change.
"It's probably something that deserves to be revisited."
About the author
Victor R.
Victor R. López is a Venezuelan journalist from Tumeremo who focuses on Formula 1 and motorsport. He covers driver news, race weekends and key stories from across the sport for F1-Fansite.com.
Related topics