Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne has deleted social media after the 19-year-old received some “really bad and quite upsetting” abuse after he crashed during the Monaco Grand Prix

The FIA have spoken out about online abuse(Image: HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

The FIA have spoken out after a driver was forced to delete social media as a result of the abuse he received following a crash at the Monaco Grand Prix. Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne was sent some “really bad and quite upsetting” messages after he crashed in Monaco, causing an 11 car pile-up.

The 19-year-old, who is top of the driver standings, has since revealed that the abuse he received after the incident has prompted him to remove social media from his phone. “I got a lot of stuff after Monaco, normally I’m not someone who reads things and gets annoyed by them,” Dunne said.

“But, I think an hour after the race, I deleted social media off my phone because I’ve never received such bad messages in my life. A lot of the stuff I got was really, really bad and quite upsetting to be honest.”

And the FIA have now released a statement condemning the abuse, which reads: “On behalf of our Teams and Drivers, F1, F1, F3 and the FIA, through their United Against Online Abuse campaign, firmly condemn abuse and harassment of any form.

“We’ll continue to collectively act upon and report abuse to social media platforms. Whether you are a fan or a part of the motorsport world, we are all driven by passion. At the heart of it all, there are humans. We urge everyone to remain respectful towards the athletes and their teams.”

Dunne is not the only driver who has been targeted on social media this year, with former Alpine driver Jack Doohan forced to ask online trolls to “stop harassing my family” after a fabricated social media post from his father went viral.

“As you can see, the story circulating above is completely false,” Doohan said in response to the fake post. “It was fabricated… to portray me and my family in a negative light.

“They edited the original content to make it appear as though my father posted it, which is entirely untrue. Please stop harassing my family. I didn’t think it would get to this point.”

FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem also condemned the abuse of Doohan and his family, stating: “Motorsport is built on competition, passion, and commitment, and ever race drivers take to the track representing these values.

Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne recently deleted social media due to the abuse he was receiving(Image: Getty)

“The passion and excitement that we feel for our sport should unite us and never be twisted into abuse or hatred. I stand in full support of Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto, and I thank them for speaking out against the growing issue of online abuse in motorsport.

“No-one should be subjected to threats, hatred, or discrimination. There is no place for abuse or toxicity in our community. Through the united against online abuse campaign, we are taking decisive action – raising awareness, providing support, and driving change.

“We are committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of everyone in our sport, and together we can build a safer, more respectful environment for all.”