Mercedes Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli has taken down his social media accounts following a wave of violent threats and more than 1,100 abusive messages he received after the Qatar Grand Prix. The 19-year-old faced severe backlash from online trolls due to a mistake in the race that allowed Lando Norris to overtake him.
Following the incident, Norris gained vital points that could impact the championship race. He currently holds a 12-point lead over Max Verstappen, who won the Qatar Grand Prix. This means Norris only needs to secure third place in the upcoming Abu Dhabi finale to clinch the world championship title, regardless of Verstappen’s performance.
After the race, Antonelli changed his Instagram profile picture to all black, sparking speculation about potential online abuse. Reports indicate that over 1,100 negative comments were directed at Antonelli on his personal social media, with an additional 330 comments on the Mercedes team’s pages, some of which included threats towards the young driver.
The Mercedes team plans to report the offensive comments to the FIA as part of their United Against Online Abuse initiative. This action comes after comments made by Red Bull executives insinuating that Antonelli may have intentionally allowed Norris to pass him, given the competitive dynamics between the teams.
Verstappen’s race engineer expressed confusion over Antonelli’s actions during the race, prompting a response from Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, who refuted any claims of foul play. Wolff criticized the accusations, emphasizing the team’s focus on the championship standings and denying any deliberate interference in the race.
Red Bull later issued a statement expressing regret over the remarks that triggered the online abuse towards Antonelli, clarifying that footage showed Antonelli losing control of his car, leading to Norris overtaking him. The team acknowledged the negative impact of the initial comments made.
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