The FIA has issued a strong condemnation of online abuse after Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne was subjected to vile messages and forced to delete social media in the aftermath of causing an 11 car pile-up at the Monaco Grand Prix. The young driver, who leads the standings, shared that he was bombarded with “really bad and quite upsetting” abuse post-race, prompting his decision to remove social media apps 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 expressed.
“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.
To combat such incidents, the motorsport’s governing body released a statement stating: “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 isn’t the only motorsport driver to face the wrath of social media this year, with ex-Alpine ace Jack Doohan pleading with trolls to “stop harassing my family” following a viral hoax involving his father.
“As you can see, the story circulating above is completely false,” Doohan clarified regarding the bogus 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 chief Mohammed ben Sulayem also slammed the attacks on Doohan and his kin, remarking: “Motorsport is built on competition, passion, and commitment, and ever race drivers take to the track representing these values.
“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.”