Gasly reveals ‘disturbing’ online abuse after Spanish GP

Pierre Gasly has lifted the lid on an ugly aftermath to Alpine’s troubled Spanish Grand Prix, revealing that the criticism aimed at him after the race escalated into threats and abuse directed not only at him, but also at members of his family and entourage.

The Frenchman became one of the main targets of an online backlash after Alpine’s strategy split at the Madring left him stranded on hard tyres for 55 laps.

The gamble depended on a late Safety Car that never arrived, forcing Gasly into a costly green-flag pit stop and leaving him 12th at the chequered flag.

A five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane only deepened his frustration.

By contrast, teammate Franco Colapinto came home seventh after spending the closing stages stuck behind Gasly, with Oscar Piastri bearing down on him, while he repeatedly requested that Alpine order his teammate to let him by.

The resulting radio exchanges between Colapinto and his race engineer added fuel to the social-media fire.

Gasly’s own frustration had already boiled over during the race: “Don't even talk to me. Radio over,” he told race engineer Josh Peckett.

Colapinto repeatedly asked Alpine to swap its drivers, fearing Piastri would catch him, but the team did not issue such an instruction. Colapinto ultimately kept the McLaren behind and secured seventh, while Gasly’s difficult afternoon ended well down the order.

For Gasly, however, the controversy itself is no longer the issue.

'There is a certain line that should not be crossed'

Ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Gasly indicated that Alpine had dealt with the strategy dispute internally and that there was no lingering confusion over what happened.

"No, we obviously discussed it with the team," he said. "There wasn't a call for an actual swap. It's all been discussed with the team, and it's all clear."

The reaction beyond the team, though, has left the Alpine driver considerably more concerned.

"Personally, I find it a little bit disturbing for the sport," Gasly added when asked about the ferocious social media backlash.

"I'm a top athlete, so I know I'm exposed. It's always been the case, but to that extent of threats and attacks, I find it a little bit, well, even completely inappropriate, especially when it reaches out to family members, girlfriend, etc. I don't think that should be the case.

• Read also: Colapinto penalty row escalates as FIA condemns abuse

"I leave it there, but things were not that way in the past, and I think as a sport, we just need to find a way to make it a healthier place because you're exposed; you know you're going to be attacked.

"You can be liked; you can be disliked; it's completely fine. But there is a certain line that should not be crossed just because you're behind a screen and a keyboard, and these lines are crossed a bit too many times."

Gasly’s comments point to a wider problem that increasingly accompanies F1’s enormous social-media audience: the line between passionate sporting criticism and personal abuse can disappear remarkably quickly.

A questionable strategy or a frustrating race is fair game for debate. For Gasly, the problem begins when that anger leaves the circuit altogether and those around the driver become targets.

The Spanish GP strategy may have generated the controversy, but it is the reaction that has prompted Gasly to call for a healthier environment around the sport.

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