The Argentine racer recalled death threats sent to Callum Ilott after an IndyCar race in Long Beach.
Former IndyCar driver and five-time Turismo Carretera champion Agustín Canapino has called for an end to online harassment. In an interview with Mario Pergolini, he said he had faced similar attacks and was now seeing them directed at Formula One driver Franco Colapinto.
Canapino’s comments followed a statement from Colapinto’s team, Alpine, asking fans to stop targeting rival competitors online. Messages posted from behind a screen can cause real harm, he said, urging continued efforts to raise awareness.
He recalled that in 2023 users threatened British driver Callum Ilott after the Long Beach race, where an incident affected Canapino’s result. Canapino publicly said Ilott was not at fault and attributed the outcome to bad luck and communication problems. He said IndyCar organisers had even suspected that he or his team encouraged the abuse, a suggestion he rejected.
In 2024, Canapino again condemned online abuse while rejecting broad criticism of Argentine fans. He said he is now concerned that harassment could affect Colapinto’s Formula One career.