In a decisive move, Arrow McLaren has cut ties with Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) after the latter’s failure to address abusive social media messages aimed at Theo Pourchaire.
The fallout stems from a chaotic Detroit Grand Prix where on lap 60 of the 100-lap race, Theo Pourchaire collided with JHR driver Agustin Canapino at Turn 3. Pourchaire was penalized for the incident and was required to give up three positions. Despite the relatively minor nature of the crash, it ignited a wave of online harassment directed at Pourchaire, primarily from a faction of Canapino’s fervent fanbase.
Arrow McLaren publicly condemned the abuse on social media, tagging JHR to urge action. Pourchaire himself quoted McLaren’s post and shared that he had received ‘so much hate and death threats.’ Contrary to this, Canapino downplayed the severity of the messages and claimed he had not seen any death threats. He suggested Pourchaire should learn to live with the abuse, further fueling the controversy.
Reporter Marshall Pruett from RACER confirmed the severity of the threats after being shown messages containing violent intentions, including one stating a hope that Pourchaire’s aeroscreen fails, causing fatal injuries. Canapino faced further backlash for liking social media posts criticizing Pourchaire for speaking out.
The incident prompted Arrow McLaren to terminate its commercial partnership with JHR. The two teams had initially agreed on a deal allowing Arrow McLaren to utilize JHR’s rear tire ramps for logo placements that couldn’t fit on their primary cars. However, this partnership had not seen significant use before its abrupt end.
In a formal statement, Arrow McLaren emphasized their zero-tolerance policy towards abuse and discrimination, reinforcing that the decision came in response to the social media chaos following the Detroit Grand Prix incident.
JHR also released a statement acknowledging the termination of the partnership and expressing respect for Arrow McLaren despite the unforeseen conclusion of their alliance.
The decision by Arrow McLaren underscores the serious implications of online abuse in motorsports and serves as a firm stance against harassment.
Source: Planetf1
