Pierre Gasly labels social media harassment as “entirely unacceptable” following the Franco Colapinto incident during the Spanish Grand Prix.

Gasly eventually made his pit stop at the end of that lap, which permitted Colapinto to finish seventh, ahead of Piastri.

This incident ignited a surge of abuse aimed at Gasly on social media, with the Frenchman sharing in Baku that his family and girlfriend were also targeted.

"I personally find it somewhat unsettling for our sport. I understand that being a top athlete exposes me, which has always been the case. But the level of threats and attacks I find quite inappropriate, especially when it extends to family members and my girlfriend," Gasly stated to the media, including Motorsport.com, on Wednesday in Azerbaijan.

The 30-year-old reflected on how social media's rise has transformed the landscape and urged the series to seek ways to cultivate a healthier environment in F1, emphasizing that certain boundaries are breached "too many times."

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

"I don't believe it should be this way. I'm leaving it at that, but things were different in the past and as a sport we need to find a way to foster a healthier environment because you are under scrutiny. You can be criticized or appreciated, and that's completely acceptable. However, there are certain lines that should not be crossed just because someone hides behind a screen and a keyboard, and those lines are crossed too frequently," Gasly explained.

Since joining F1 two years ago, Colapinto has received tremendous support from fans in his home country, with Argentine supporters becoming a common sight at nearly every grand prix. However, this support has also manifested a darker side online, with driver abuse becoming an increasingly prevalent issue.

Colapinto himself denounced the treatment Gasly experienced in Baku on Wednesday and urged fans to cease such behavior, while also calling on his supporters to concentrate on his performance as the Argentine has consistently scored points in F1 this season.

"We always work as a team, and it's disheartening to witness this, so I hope it can come to an end," Colapinto remarked. "The same happened to other drivers, like Yuki [Tsunoda following a clash in Austria] last year, which was quite severe at one point. He spoke about it, and the stewards, I believe after Zandvoort, also looked into it after he faced some abuse following the penalty given to me.

"Such incidents are frequent among fans in Formula 1 and in any sport today; it's regrettably common, but it shouldn't be. It definitely requires more attention regarding the words that come from everyone's keyboards.

"The way to support us as a team is to encourage the team forward and remain united, and yes, I hope this doesn't persist, but it's a challenging situation with fans in the sport, and it's not just my supporters. I have some very passionate ones who want me to succeed, and I hope they can enjoy the positive results I’m achieving."

Both Colapinto and Gasly acknowledged that the on-track incident had been discussed internally within the team.

"I believe the team managed the situation well, and we always strive to learn from these experiences, so hopefully we can grow and move ahead," Colapinto commented, while Gasly added: "We certainly talked about it with the team. There wasn't a call for an actual swap; everything has been discussed with the team, and it's all clear."