Following the Qatar Grand Prix, Mercedes Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli has taken down his social media accounts due to receiving death threats and over 1,100 abusive messages. The 19-year-old faced severe backlash from trolls after a racing incident allowed Lando Norris to overtake him in the race.
Norris gained two crucial points from the incident, placing him 12 points ahead of Max Verstappen, the winner of 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.
Antonelli changed his Instagram profile picture to a black image shortly after the race, sparking speculation about online abuse directed at him. Reports indicate that more than 1,100 negative comments were found on Antonelli’s personal accounts, with an additional 330 on the Mercedes team’s pages, including threats towards the young driver.
The Mercedes team plans to report all offensive comments to the FIA as part of the United Against Online Abuse initiative. This comes after comments from Red Bull officials suggesting Antonelli made it easy for Norris, who races for McLaren, a team powered by Mercedes engines.
Verstappen’s race engineer expressed confusion over radio communication, questioning Antonelli’s actions during the race. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff refuted claims of foul play, criticizing the insinuations made by Red Bull and clarifying the situation with their own team members.
Red Bull later issued a statement retracting their previous remarks and expressing regret over the online abuse directed at Antonelli. The statement clarified that Antonelli’s loss of control allowed Norris to pass him, refuting claims of intentional action.
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