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Verstappen speaks out strongly against online threats aimed at Antonelli

17:00, 04 Dec

byLudo van Denderen

Max Verstappen has strongly condemned the online threats and insults directed at Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The Dutchman believes it’s a “big problem” that people can anonymously shout the most disgraceful things on social media.

After the Qatar Grand Prix, Antonelli was hit with a storm of online abuse. It came from “F1 fans” who felt that the Mercedes rookie had let Lando Norris through too easily in the closing stages of the race.

Marko’s comments about Antonelli

Their anger may have been partially fueled by comments from Helmut Marko, who said that Antonelli had simply opened the door. A day later, the advisor fully retracted that.

Max Verstappen understands that Marko initially thought Antonelli let Norris by. He told GPblog among others: “The issue, I think, was that in the footage that came out first, it looked like he moved aside. That was the feed.

“If you watch the replay, you see he had massive oversteer twice,” Verstappen continued. The Dutchman, who is glad that Marko later publicly revised his opinion, continued.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli - Photo: RacePictures

Verstappen points out the problem with social media

The Red Bull Racing driver added: “What people say on social media is a problem with social media. That has nothing to do with what Helmut actually says. After what he said, it still doesn’t mean you can completely tear someone to shreds, does it?

“That’s the problem you need to tackle with social media. Why can people create all these accounts, even without a real name? It’s just not regulated. That’s a bigger problem.

“But from Helmut’s side and in general: If you see something for the first time and you don’t have all the footage; and if afterward you have seen everything, then of course it’s only proper to say: ‘We saw this wrong, that’s not how it was.’”

Verstappen confirmed that shortly after the race, he told Antonelli and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff that he thought there was no foul play involved. “I was in the car, so I had no idea what was going on. Until I saw the footage. Then it’s clear what happened there.”

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