Enstone is rarely the source of public-relations fireworks, but Alpine has felt compelled to confront a growing online conspiracy around Franco Colapinto. In an open letter released this month, the team directly rejected suggestions that its Argentine rookie is being supplied an inferior package to team-mate Pierre Gasly.
"Any questions about sabotage or not giving Franco the same car are completely unfounded," the team wrote.
The statement tackled the specific incident that ignited the theories: a visible spec difference between the two Alpines in China. According to the team, a gearbox failure on Colapinto's car forced engineers to swap in "small low-performance impacting parts" simply to make the car raceable — a mechanical necessity, not a political choice.
Alpine also used the letter to criticise the abuse sent towards Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman following their respective collisions with Colapinto in China and Japan. The team admitted that staying quiet in the days after the Chinese Grand Prix allowed the story to take root, calling the delay an oversight.
The broader picture is a harsh one for Colapinto. Haas principal Ayao Komatsu exonerated him over the Bearman shunt, blaming the extreme closing speeds of the 2026 cars, but the P1 with Matt & Tommy podcast rated him only 5/10 for Japan. Matt argued: "The closing speeds are so insane, like so insane that he would have seen him last minute."
Colapinto, though, has been adamant that the 2026 Alpine is a legitimate upgrade on last year's car. "I'm happier, of course, that when you can fight a bit further up, it makes you feel more confident," he said before the Suzuka race.
Publishing a public letter is an unusual step for a modern F1 team. But with Gasly producing performances that undermine any internal-sabotage narrative, Alpine clearly decided the cleanest way to defuse the rumours was to say so in print.
