Mohammed Ben Sulayem calls “for help” to deal with hate on social networks
As more and more F1 players, especially stewards, become the target of hateful comments on social networks, the FIA president calls for help to combat this growing phenomenon.
Hate on social media, particularly on X (formerly known as Twitter), has increased in recent years. The latest striking example is that of Nicholas Latifi after the Abu Dhabi GP in 2021. The Canadian, who had crashed into the safety barriers, received numerous insulting messages and even death threats from some internet users.
The former Williams driver’s accident had triggered the entry of the safety car. Following an arbitration error by Michael Masi, the race director at the time, Max Verstappen had won the race and his first world title after a season of fierce competition against Lewis Hamilton. The Australian had also been subjected to a lot of insults and threats on social media.
If we do nothing, we will not be able to repair the damages.
The latest victims of these online insults are the race commissioners, imposing various penalties after the race, more or less appropriate. But for FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, these insults are unjustifiable, and he denounces this serious issue.
I am asking for help here, because if we do nothing, we will not be able to repair the damage it is causing. And we cannot afford that. As FIA, we cannot solve this problem on our own. There must be a collaborative solution,” warns Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
People are afraid. But without volunteers, we cannot participate in motorsport, and no sport can. We want to make this sport acceptable to people. That’s why I believe that if we are united, we can achieve it. But it’s not an easy fight. And we can’t do it without the media, continues the president of the FIA.
