Mercedes Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli has decided to deactivate his social media accounts due to a barrage of death threats and over 1,100 offensive messages he received after the Qatar Grand Prix. The 19-year-old faced severe backlash from trolls following a late race incident where he lost control, allowing Lando Norris to overtake him.
As a consequence, Norris gained two extra points that could play a crucial role in the championship battle. With a current lead of 12 points over Max Verstappen, who won the Qatar race, Norris only needs to secure third place in the upcoming Abu Dhabi finale to clinch the world championship title, regardless of Verstappen’s performance.
Shortly after the race, Antonelli changed his Instagram profile picture to all black, sparking speculation about online abuse targeted at the young driver. Reports indicate that more than 1,100 offensive comments were flagged on Antonelli’s personal accounts, with approximately 330 more on Mercedes team pages, some including threats towards him.
The team plans to report all the offensive content to the FIA, which leads the United Against Online Abuse initiative. This action follows comments from Red Bull executives implying Antonelli may have helped Norris, who races for McLaren, a team powered by Mercedes engines.
During the race, Verstappen’s engineer expressed confusion over Antonelli’s actions, suggesting he deliberately allowed Norris to pass. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff refuted these claims, calling them baseless and expressing frustration over the situation.
Red Bull later issued a statement expressing regret for the remarks that led to online abuse directed at Antonelli, clarifying that replay footage showed a loss of control rather than intentional actions.
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