Mercedes Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli has decided to deactivate 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 backlash from online trolls due to a mistake in the race that allowed Lando Norris to overtake him.
As a consequence of this incident, Norris gained an extra two points, potentially impacting the championship race. With a current lead of 12 points over Max Verstappen, the winner of the Qatar race, Norris only needs to secure third place in the upcoming Abu Dhabi final to clinch the world championship title, regardless of Verstappen’s performance.
After the race concluded, it was observed that Antonelli had changed his Instagram profile picture to an all-black image, sparking speculation about potential online abuse directed at the young driver, a situation confirmed by Mirror Sport.
Reports indicate that over 1,100 offensive comments were flagged on Antonelli’s personal social media profiles, with approximately 330 more instances identified on Mercedes team-related pages. Some of these comments reportedly contained threats of harm or death towards the driver.
The team is preparing to submit all the offensive remarks collected to the FIA, which leads the United Against Online Abuse initiative. This action follows remarks from senior Red Bull executives implying that Antonelli may have facilitated Norris’ pass, who races for McLaren, a team powered by Mercedes engines.
Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, expressed confusion to Verstappen over the radio immediately after the incident, suggesting that Antonelli appeared to have allowed Norris to pass easily. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff swiftly refuted these suggestions, criticizing the insinuations and defending Antonelli’s actions during the race.
Red Bull issued a statement expressing regret over the comments that triggered the online abuse towards Antonelli, clarifying that footage showed Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, leading to Norris passing him.
Sky has enhanced its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle by including HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu, along with 135 channels and comprehensive coverage of Formula 1. Sky offers coverage of every practice, qualifying session, and race throughout the season, in addition to exclusive coverage of various sports events.
For a quick access to the news you value, select Daily Mirror as a ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News.