Formula 1 News: Colapinto fans threatened to cut off Doohan’s limbs and kill him
Australian F1 driver Jack Doohan (pictured) has opened up about the horrifying death threats he received from overzealous Franco Colapinto supporters during one of the darkest moments of his rookie season.
The 23-year-old, who made his full-time debut with Alpine in 2025 alongside Pierre Gasly, was subjected to a torrent of vile emails in the lead-up to the Miami Grand Prix — his seventh and final race for the team before being replaced by Argentine driver Franco Colapinto.
In shocking revelations featured in the latest season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive (Season 8, episode “Strictly Business”), Doohan detailed the terrifying messages that arrived just days before the Florida weekend.
“I got serious death threats for this [Miami] Grand Prix, saying they’re going to kill me here, if I’m not out of the car,” Doohan said in the series.
“I had six or seven emails saying if I am still in the car by Miami, all my limbs will be cut off.”
The threats were directly linked to a growing online campaign from Colapinto fans — many believed to be from Argentina — who were pushing aggressively for the young South American to take Doohan’s seat following the Australian’s difficult start to the season. What began as toxic social media abuse quickly escalated into explicit, violent threats demanding Doohan step aside.
The situation became so dangerous that Doohan required immediate protection. On the Wednesday before the Miami Grand Prix, while simply spending time with his girlfriend and trainer, the young driver found himself surrounded by three armed security personnel.
“I was there with my f***ing girlfriend and my trainer, and I’ve got three armed men around me — I had to call my police escort to come and get it under control,” Doohan recounted, his voice still carrying the disbelief.
He added: “I wasn’t able to enjoy being a Formula 1 driver, something I dreamt of for so long. So yeah, it’s pretty s**t.”
Doohan ultimately raced in Miami, after which Alpine confirmed Colapinto would take over the seat for the remainder of 2025. Doohan finished the year as the team’s reserve driver before moving to Haas as their 2026 reserve.
The disturbing episode has shone a fresh light on the growing problem of online toxicity and fan extremism in Formula 1. Teammate Pierre Gasly was visibly upset in the Drive to Survive footage, noting how “everybody is talking about him in a way that is quite toxic.”
Doohan’s family was also targeted, with fabricated images and messages falsely attributed to his legendary father, five-time MotoGP champion Mick Doohan, circulated to fuel the backlash.
As the new Drive to Survive season drops this Friday (February 27), Doohan’s story serves as a stark reminder of the real-world consequences when passionate support crosses the line into hatred.
Formula 1 has faced increasing scrutiny over fan abuse in recent years, with drivers like Colapinto himself, Yuki Tsunoda and others also speaking out about similar online harassment. Teams and the FIA have repeatedly called for platforms to do more, but incidents like Doohan’s show the human cost remains painfully real.
For the young Australian, who has now rebuilt his career path with Haas for 2026, the message is clear: the dream of F1 can come with a nightmare attached when fandom turns feral.
AutoRacing1.com stands firmly against all forms of abuse and threats in the sport. Talent should be judged on the track—not terrorized off it.