F1 | Pierre Gasly sparks social media backlash with Michael Schumacher tribute on his birthday. Pierre Gasly faces heavy criticism on social media.

What was meant to be a tribute to the legendary Michael Schumacher instead turned into a wave of social media criticism for Pierre Gasly.

Pierre Gasly wanted to pay homage to Michael Schumacher, but the reaction was far from what he had hoped for. The French Formula 1 driver, who was spending his holidays in the Alps with friends, was hit by a flood of criticism on social media following a post shared on Instagram.

The reason? Pierre Gasly was wearing the iconic red jacket with the Marlboro logo, strongly associated with the period when the Kaiser was racing for the Maranello-based Ferrari team. It is a piece of clothing that almost everyone recognises: Michael Schumacher and his wife Corinna were often seen skiing together, and Schumi wore that very same jacket in several photos taken during that era.

The timing of Pierre Gasly’s post also did him no favours. The Alpine driver shared his holiday pictures on 3 January, the birthday of the legendary seven-time Formula 1 world champion.

Gasly pays tribute to Schumacher, but the web reacts harshly

Reactions on social media were immediate. “Mate… terrible timing,” one user wrote in the comments. Another added: “I feel like there is something so wrong when an F1 driver goes skiing.”

Others were even more direct. “Posting this on Michael’s birthday while wearing that Marlboro jacket is crazy,” read one comment. Another user highlighted what they described as a “lack of respect” in sharing the photo gallery on the day Schumi would have turned 57 years old.

One fan struck a more understanding tone, urging Pierre Gasly to be cautious: “When I saw that jacket, all I could think about was Michael Schumacher. He was my favourite, and you are one of my favourites too.”

These are just some of the reactions to the post published by the French driver on his Instagram profile. Three days have passed, and Pierre Gasly has not replied to any of the comments, nor has he offered any explanation regarding the intentions behind his tribute. Whether the gaffe was intentional or not, the memory of Michael Schumacher and of that 29 December 2013, the day that changed his life forever, remains more vivid than ever.