F1 News: Franco Colapinto Takes Lewis Hamilton's Advice After 'Toxic' Remarks

Saajan Jogia | 2 Hours Ago

Nov 23, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Williams Racing driver Franco Colapinto (43) is introduced before the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Williams interim driver Franco Colapinto has revealed that he deleted his account on social media platform X after experiencing the intense attention typically directed at celebrities following his Formula 1 debut at the Italian Grand Prix. He described the surge in online focus as "strange" and "toxic." His remarks came just days after Lewis Hamilton cautioned young drivers about the negativity that often accompanies fame.

Colapinto stepped in for Logan Sargeant, who was dismissed from Williams due to underperformance. In his first four Formula 1 races, Colapinto made a strong impression by securing five points, drawing significant attention. His promising performances have sparked speculation about potential future opportunities with Alpine or Red Bull, especially as his Williams seat is set to be filled by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in 2025. This has added to his growing popularity, especially on social media.

Seven-time F1 champion Hamilton, who has witnessed and experienced peak fame, recently advised young drivers to stay away from social media negativity and offered advice that could keep them safe from its side effects. He said:

"Don't let the negativity get to you because people are so negative nowadays judging you non-stop.

"So stay off social media and keep your family and your closest friends close to you because they're your only true friends who are going to be there for you when the going gets tough." 

He added:

"Don't do absolutely everything that everybody tells you to do, ask lots of questions, and take your time.

"I remember when I was 22 and thrown in the deep end ... you're trying to be nice but people take advantage of you."

The Briton then explained how he would approach the problem if he had a young driver under him. He said:

"If I had a young driver and I was looking after him, I'd put a lot of support around him so that people couldn't get to him and the social media stuff wouldn't be able to affect them. It's about not knocking them down when they make mistakes ... when you do it [make mistakes] in the spotlight it's really tough, so we need to lift them up and continue to support them." 

Colapinto experienced a few symptoms that Hamilton mentioned about social media, reportedly leading him to delete his account on X. While his Instagram account still exists, which has more than four million followers, he revealed being away from X helps him not get distracted by the rumors allegedly spread on the platform. He said:

"Well, it's a very strange thing. I deleted Twitter [X].

"I think it's very toxic. And whatever you do, it has a very big impact. They [the fans] take news from from every little thing that you are doing. So that's something you have to understand, but it's part of the job.

"In my case, it helps to not get so distracted [by social media] because it's not very useful. It's very easy for people to go online and start spreading some ... not so nice things."