Latifi needed extra security after death threats: "That's all it takes"

After the much-discussed Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, everyone involved seemed to have become the target of a hefty dose of hate. Not only Michael Masi, but Nicholas Latifi also had to take the brunt of the hate because of his late crash in the race, which forced the safety car to be pulled out. He reveals that the threats were so serious that he had himself and his family provided with extra security.

After the final race of the 2021 Formula 1 season, Latifi was among the targets of hate messages and even death threats. Those threats were serious enough to make him decide to deploy additional security, the Canadian explained after the launch of the new Williams car.

"At the end of the day, you don't know how serious people are," Latifi explains to Motorsportweek.com, among others. "All it could take is someone having a bad day and is intoxicated or under the influence of something. All it takes is that one in a million person."

He says he took the threats so seriously that, once back in London, he took security with him whenever he went anywhere. "It may sound silly, but we took the threats really seriously, because you don't know what could happen," the Williams driver continues.

He himself says he has put it behind him, but felt it was important to share his experiences with the world because of the far-reaching consequences such messages can have. "That’s why I thought it was important to spread this message of ‘be kind’,'" Latifi concluded.