F1: Alpine driver fans get nasty on Social media

Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon were caught up in some intra-team drama during the F1 Sprint at Interlagos as two separate collisions cost them valuable points, along with starting positions for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix – with the stewards demoting Alonso to P18 with a post-Sprint five-second penalty.

Esteban Ocon’s car caught fire after the sprint at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, adding to Alpine’s problems following his collision with team-mate Fernando Alonso.

Social media can be a very toxic place and fan emotions erupted after the race with threats made against the drivers, forcing Alpine to issue the following statement on Twitter.

With the Alpines lining up in P6 and P7 for the 100km dash, Alonso attempted a move around the outside of his teammate at Turn 4 on the opening lap, only for the pair to make contact, which was repeated moments later along the main straight.

After expressing his frustration at Ocon over the radio, Alonso offered further thoughts when speaking to the media post-race, saying: “There was a lot of too-close [fighting], unfortunately. It’s far from ideal when it’s your teammate, but it’s been a little like this [with him] all year long.”

Asked if he will speak to Ocon about their run-ins, Alonso added: “It’s one more race and then it’s over, finally. I was very close to the wall in Jeddah with him, close to the wall in Budapest, today in Turn 4 now here… Sometimes it’s very competitive inside a team; it happened to him with [Sergio] Perez, with Verstappen here unlapping himself so… it’s one more race.”

“I feel bad for the guys today,” he added, “but I will try to have a good race tomorrow.”

“The only thing I’m thinking about is how unfortunate it is for the team,” Ocon said. “And how well we qualified yesterday and how we are at the back today. We need to be working all together to be fighting through the field tomorrow because it’s going to be crucial to score some points.

“I had a good launch. I was trying to fight with the McLarens in front, trying to go down the inside of Norris. It was a bit tight so I backed out of it, released the brake and took my corner into Turn 4, Fernando was on the outside, we touched and from there on my race was over.

“The sidepod is completely open,” the Frenchman continued. “I don’t know how it didn’t fly off. And the car was on fire as well, so I hope at the end there was not more damage.

“I left the car, I did a couple of steps, I went up to the scale and then I saw a car on fire. I thought it was the Williams, but no, it was mine…the whole bodywork is damaged, that’s for sure. I don’t know what the consequences are going to be.”