Kimi Antonelli isn’t the only Formula One driver that has had to contend with death threats
View 3 Images
Kimi Antonelli was subject to death threats on social media after the Qatar Grand Prix(Image: PA)
Ex-Formula One ace Nicholas Latifi can certainly relate to the recent ordeal of Mercedes’ young star Kimi Antonelli. The 19-year-old driver has been on the receiving end of a barrage of death threats and nasty messages following his off-course detour during the Qatar Grand Prix.
Antonelli’s slip-up allowed Lando Norris to overtake him, finishing fourth while Antonelli had to settle for fifth place. This error resulted in the Drivers’ Championship leader gaining an additional two points in his title battle against Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri.
Now, the British driver is leading by 12 points over the current champion and 16 points over his team-mate ahead of this Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The fallout from Antonelli’s driving mistake was swift and brutal, with his social media accounts flooded with hateful messages.
In response, the young driver replaced his usual Instagram profile picture with a black image. Latifi, who faced a similar backlash four years ago, can understand what Antonelli is going through.
Latifi, the former Williams driver, was subjected to a torrent of online abuse after crashing at the infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. His crash on lap 52 of 57 led to a late safety car, which played a part in Lewis Hamilton missing out on a record eighth world championship.
The race saw Verstappen controversially clinch his first world title. In 2022, the 30-year-old racer opened up about the severity of the abuse he received, revealing that he had to hire personal bodyguards for a visit to Winter Wonderland with his girlfriend Sandra Dziwiszek.
“It sounds silly to some people but at the end of the day, you don’t know how serious people are,” the Canadian explained. “All it needs is one drunk fan at an airport, or you bump into someone who is having a bad day and they are intoxicated under the influence of something and they have these really extreme opinions.
View 3 Images
Nicolas Latifi faced a barrage of online abuse after his crash at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix(Image: Getty Images)
“It takes just that one-in-a-million person. I was back in London after the race, and I had security with me when I went to Winter Wonderland with my girlfriend.
“You have to take the threats seriously because you don’t know what might happen and it is just an unfortunate reality of the world we live in and there were extreme death threats which went way over the line.”
The racing driver also revealed that he received messages of support from Hamilton and members of the Mercedes team amidst the abuse. He said: “Lewis did send me a message a few days after the race and just before I released the statement on social media.
View 3 Images
Lando Norris finished ahead of Antonelli at the Qatar Grand Prix(Image: PA)
“I will not go into what he said, but I got messages of support from other team members at Mercedes and there was an outcry of support from drivers and teams on social media, too, which was nice to see.”
The torrent of online abuse directed at Antonelli followed accusations from Red Bull suggesting the Mercedes driver deliberately allowed Norris past to harm Verstappen’s championship bid – claims Toto Wolff furiously dismissed.
Helmut Marko added to the accusations when he alleged: “It was twice where he more or less waved Lando by. It was so obvious. Antonelli now helps our main competitor. In Austria, he was crashing [Verstappen] in the rear.” The Austrian outfit have since issued an apology for their part in stoking the abuse.
