Mercedes Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli has opted to deactivate his social media accounts following a deluge of death threats and more than 1,100 offensive messages received after the Qatar Grand Prix. The 19-year-old faced intense backlash from trolls following a late mishap in the race that allowed Lando Norris to overtake him.
Norris gained two crucial points from this incident, widening his lead over Max Verstappen by 12 points. Verstappen, who won the Qatar race, now needs 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, Antonelli changed his Instagram profile picture to an all-black image, sparking speculation about online abuse directed at him, a concern confirmed by Mirror Sport. Reports indicate that over 1,100 negative comments were identified on Antonelli’s personal social media, with an additional 330 on the Mercedes team’s pages, some containing threats towards the young driver.
Mercedes plans to report all the offensive comments to the FIA under their United Against Online Abuse initiative. This action follows remarks by Red Bull executives suggesting Antonelli may have facilitated Norris’s advance, given that Norris races for McLaren, a team using Mercedes engines.
During the race, Verstappen’s engineer expressed confusion over Antonelli’s actions, leading to public speculation. However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff swiftly dismissed the insinuations, labeling them as baseless and criticizing the comments made by Red Bull officials. Wolff clarified the situation with Verstappen’s engineer, emphasizing the team’s focus on the championship standings.
Red Bull later issued a statement expressing regret over the remarks that incited online abuse towards Antonelli, acknowledging that Antonelli’s loss of control on track enabled Norris to overtake him.
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