Esteban Ocon Fights Back Against Death Threats After Incident with Franco Colapinto at the Chinese GP

Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon has condemned the wave of death threats he received after an incident with teammate Franco Colapinto during the 2026 Chinese GP. Ocon called for severe consequences for hate spreaders on social media.

Dutch news outlet ESPN reported that Ocon revealed he had received death threats after bumping into Colapinto during the GP China.

According to racing news site RacingNews365, the incident occurred when Ocon attempted to overtake Colapinto at Turn 2 during the second half of the race. This move led to a contact that resulted in both cars spinning off track. Although Colapinto managed to continue racing and finish in the top 10, Ocon received a 10-second time penalty for his part in the collision.

Ocon immediately accepted blame for his role in the incident and apologized to Colapinto. Although the on-track incident had been resolved between the two drivers, reactions on social media escalated into verbal attacks on Ocon.

Ocon described hate on social media as "keyboard warriors" and emphasized that such behavior has no place in sports. He observed a rising trend of verbal attacks against athletes and believes they must be taken seriously.

Ocon expressed hope that in the future there will be tangible penalties for those who send threatening or abusive comments.

The situation also caught the attention of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who sent Ocon a letter of support after receiving threats. This move is part of the federation's efforts to combat online harassment in the racing world.

Colapinto's management also reminded fans not to send Ocon hate or threats, emphasizing that the incident was a part of racing dynamics.

Relationship between Ocon and Colapinto remains good