Jack Doohan, Formula 1 driver, has called for calm through his social media, requesting that online harassment directed at his family cease.
The request arises after the spread of a fake image on social media that involved his father, the legendary motorcycle racer Mick Doohan.
This week, before the recent F1 race in Imola, Doohan was replaced by Franco Colapinto at Alpine.
After a Colapinto accident during qualifying, an F1 parody account published a fake image that simulated being an Instagram story from Mick Doohan, with laughing emojis and comments about the incident.
The image was manufactured and spread across various media.
Doohan clarified the situation on his Instagram account.
As you can clearly see, the story circulating above is completely false. It was fabricated by fanatics to portray me and my family in a negative light. They edited the original content to make it seem like my father published it, which is totally false. Please stop harassing my family.
Jack Doohan
Doohan also explained that the fake image did not originate in Argentina, although several media outlets in that country disseminated it, triggering online abuse.
Although Doohan remains a reserve driver at Alpine, his future in F1 is uncertain.
Originally, Colapinto was expected to participate in five races, but Flavio Briatore, Alpine advisor, denied this stipulation.
Alpine issued a statement in response to Doohan’s posts.
The team emphasized the importance of remembering that behind the drivers there are people with feelings and families, and condemned online abuse, urging fans to be kind and respectful.
