Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli has taken down his social media accounts following a deluge of death threats and more than 1,100 offensive messages after the Qatar Grand Prix. The 19-year-old faced severe online abuse from malicious trolls due to an incident during the race that allowed Lando Norris to overtake him.
As a consequence, Norris gained two crucial points that could impact the championship race. Currently, Norris holds a 12-point lead over Max Verstappen, the winner of the Qatar race. This puts Norris in a favorable position, needing only a third-place finish in the upcoming Abu Dhabi finale to secure the world championship title, irrespective of Verstappen’s performance.
After the race, it was observed that Antonelli changed his Instagram profile picture to an all-black image, sparking concerns of online harassment. Reports indicate that over 1,100 derogatory comments were directed at Antonelli on his personal social media profiles, with around 330 more found on the Mercedes team’s pages, some containing threats towards the young driver.
The team is set to report all offensive comments to the FIA as part of the United Against Online Abuse campaign. This action follows remarks from Red Bull executives suggesting Antonelli’s actions may have favored Norris, who races for McLaren, a team powered by Mercedes engines.
Verstappen’s race engineer expressed confusion over the incident, hinting that Antonelli may have allowed Norris to pass without resistance. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff dismissed these claims, labeling them as baseless and emphasizing the team’s commitment to fair competition.
Red Bull later issued a statement expressing regret over the remarks that incited online abuse towards Antonelli, clarifying that the incident was a result of Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, allowing Norris to overtake.
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