On lap 60 of the chaotic IndyCar Detroit Grand Prix, Arrow McLaren driver Théo Pourchaire and Argentine racer Agustín Canapino collided during a restart. This incident, in just Pourchaire’s third race, has led to an alarming influx of hate messages and death threats towards the French driver.
Pourchaire, currently a reserve driver for the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, is stepping in for the injured David Malukas as the driver of the No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for the remainder of the IndyCar season. The collision during the tricky Turn 3 of the Detroit GP happened when Pourchaire made a late dive, while Canapino was maneuvering behind Hélio Castroneves. Both cars ended up in the same spot, resulting in what can be described as a racing incident.
The incident didn’t receive significant attention during the NBC broadcast but stirred a storm online. Arrow McLaren addressed the situation on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Arrow McLaren and @juncoshollinger will not tolerate any form of abuse or discrimination. Those participating in such actions are not welcome in our online community.”
Théo Pourchaire also took to X, expressing his distress: “I’m sad I received so much hate and death threats in the last 24 hours for such a small incident in the Detroit GP. I hope people can understand that we are all humans and we can make mistakes. But it’s not normal to abuse people online.. Please be kind to each other,” followed by two emojis.
It became evident that the hate was primarily from Canapino’s fan base. The Argentine driver, who transitioned to IndyCar from a highly successful touring car career in Argentina, has a fervent following. This isn’t the first time Canapino’s fans have attacked other drivers online; previous targets included Callum Ilott, who left Juncos Hollinger Racing partly due to similar harassment.
In the aftermath, fans circulated a clip of team owner Ricardo Juncos using harsh language against Pourchaire, calling him a “son of 1,000 whores” in Spanish. This has further fueled the controversy and kept the incident in the spotlight. So far, Juncos Hollinger Racing has not issued any public statements addressing the incident or the subsequent harassment.
The fallout from the Detroit GP crash continues to unfold, putting a spotlight on the serious issue of online abuse in motorsport. While Arrow McLaren has condemned the harassment, the absence of a response from Juncos Hollinger Racing leaves many questions unanswered.
Source: Planetf1
