Franco Colapinto responds to Jeremy Clarkson after 'Argentina penalty' comment

Franco Colapinto believes Jeremy Clarkson's comment about him receiving a penalty in the United States GP was probably "not the best" situation. 

On Saturday in Austin, Clarkson, a guest of Colapinto's Alpine team, spoke on Sky Sports F1 and said that "Franco's got a grid penalty for being Argentine. Probably, well, I'd give him one for that.

"That's just because of what happened when we went there."

This is in reference to Clarkson's loathing for Argentina after a 2014 episode of Top Gear, in which he, co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May, and the crew were forced to flee across the border to Chile after being attacked by locals who believed the number plate on his Porsche - 'H982 FKL' - was mocking the 1982 Falklands War between Britain and Argentina.

The war is still a sensitive subject in Argentina, but it was later proven that the number plate issue on the car was genuinely issued from new and that it had simply not been spotted by the crew.

Following the comment, Alpine issued a statement saying that: "we would like ​to reiterate that these are personal views and do not align with the team's values of promoting kindness and ‌respect. ⁠Franco is our driver and has our full support."

Colapinto's management then issued a statement of its own, saying Clarkson's comment was "completely unacceptable" - with Colapinto recently taking to social media himself to call for an end to online abuse, with his fans sometimes abusing fellow drivers after incidents on track. 

Reacting himself, Colapinto insisted he would try to "focus on ourselves."

"I think of course it has nothing to do with the team," Colapinto told media, including RacingNews365, when questioned about the comment.

"He just did an interview on his own, and it is nothing related to the team, and I think he's always been jokey, but I don't really know him.

"But they told me, and I didn't see too much of what he said, but I heard that Jamie put something on social media, but I guess we will try to focus on ourselves.

"I try to improve the situation, of course, and it needs help from a lot of people, not just from me, but we will see how we end up, but it is not the best, I guess."

[Article continues below].

Colapinto's race

As for Colapinto's race, it ended after 35 laps when he retired with a power unit issue, but he also suffered damage, as he explained. 

"Pierre was coming out of the pits, and I was trying to be very defensive so Pierre could be ahead, and then three of us were side-by-side, and I got sandwiched," he explained.

"So I got totally damaged, but our race was not looking very good with all the traffic, so it is what it is.

"We need to come back stronger in Mexico and try to finish races."