Argentine race driver Franco Colapinto is in hot water after motorsport governing body FIA issued a statement condemning online abuse of stewards, following criticism of the sanction he received during Sunday’s Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Colapinto was handed a drive-through penalty for overtaking Racing Bulls driver Yuki Tsunoda, right after yellow flags were deployed on the circuit following Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s crash at the entrance to the main straight.
While drivers are banned from overtaking other cars under yellow flags, many fans felt the sanction — which effectively ended the Argentine driver’s chances of finishing in a points-awarding position — was unfair, given the Japanese driver slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting debris from Verstappen’s car.
In addition to the on-track penalty, the FIA deducted three points from his license, bringing his total to four in the past 12 months.
The ire of fans across social media has prompted the FIA to release a statement on Tuesday condemning “online abuse” suffered by the race stewards.
