Alpine F1 team defends Colapinto after Clarkson comments

The Alpine Formula One team has defended driver Franco Colapinto following remarks made by TV personality Jeremy Clarkson. During an interview for Sky Sports, Clarkson joked that he would issue a grid penalty to Colapinto simply for being Argentine. Colapinto was already scheduled to receive a 10-place grid penalty for the US Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas due to power unit component changes.

Clarkson, who is a guest of the Alpine team, made the comments in Austin ahead of the race. Alpine, Renault-owned, stated that the comments were personal views and not reflective of the team's values of kindness and respect. Franco Colapinto, who has a strong Argentine fan base, has had to repeatedly address online abuse from rivals and teammates alike.

His manager, Jamie Campbell-Walter, condemned Clarkson's remarks as completely unacceptable and emphasized the need for respect in Formula One.