Alpine has addressed claims of sabotage toward their driver, Franco Colapinto, in a statement released Thursday.

The controversy began after the Chinese Grand Prix last month, when Colapinto suggested he might have been more competitive if he had received certain technical additions that were fitted on teammate Pierre Gasly’s car. Colapinto finished 10th in the race, while Gasly placed sixth, 49 seconds ahead. Gasly followed that with a seventh-place finish at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, whereas Colapinto ended the race in 16th.

Fans also criticized Haas driver Esteban Ocon, who made contact with Colapinto during the Chinese Grand Prix.

“Having reviewed the reaction online and on social media after the Japanese Grand Prix, as a team, we feel we owe it to our fans to address certain points and questions being raised, and also once again speak out against the hate and abuse being aimed not just at one of our drivers, but also toward our racing counterparts and other members of the Formula One family,” Alpine said in Thursday’s statement.

The team also responded to anger directed at Colapinto following a crash in Japan involving Oliver Bearman.

“First of all, the most important thing is the safety and well-being of the drivers, and thankfully Ollie is OK,” Alpine said. “The closing speeds are a characteristic of these cars, and as stated by the FIA, it’s something that will be closely reviewed in the coming weeks. The FIA also reviewed the incident involving Franco and Ollie during the race and deemed that no further action was necessary.”

Regarding the differences between their cars, Alpine explained that the setups are largely similar, aside from “some small low-performance impacting parts” due to gearbox changes.

“Any questions about sabotage or not giving Franco the same car are completely unfounded, which is why the team felt the need to speak out,” Alpine said. “There might be times this year when pushing in the development race that upgrades come to one car first, which the team will communicate and be completely transparent about. That being said, the aim will always remain to bring upgrades to both cars where possible.”

-Field Level Media/Reuters