"A lot of hate and abuse" - Nicholas Latifi releases emotional statement about his role in Lewis Hamilton vs. Max Verstappen F1 title fight

Nicholas Latifi has put out a statement addressing online abuse in the aftermath of the Max Verstappen vs Lewis Hamilton title fight. Latifi's crash on the 54th lap of the 58-lap race catalyzed the incidents at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, leading to an impending investigation by the FIA.

The Canadian driver for Williams claimed to have temporarily deleted his social media accounts to distance himself from the negativity surrounding the race.

In a personal statement addressing social media abuse after the season finale, Latifi said:

“A lot has been made of the situation that came about after my retirement in Abu Dhabi. I've received thousands of messages to my social media accounts – publicly and via DMs. Most have been supportive, but there's been a lot of hate and abuse, too.”

According to the Williams driver, his family and friends have received similar abuse and online threats, suggesting that he crashed deliberately to aid the title fight between Verstappen and Hamilton. Had it not been for Latifi’s crash, Hamilton looked set to win the race. Verstappen, however, was inadvertently aided by the safety car that was brought out until Latifi's Williams was cleared off the track.

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Nicholas Latifi claims receiving death threats post-Max Verstappen’s title-deciding finale

F1 fans on Twitter have been known to be extreme when it comes to their opinions. Max Verstappen’s title win and the controversy surrounding it, however, have led to the unwelcome magnification of such polarized opinions. This has resulted in unacceptable social media abuse of drivers like Nicholas Latifi.

Describing the extremity of social media hatred after the F1 finale, Latifi said:

“It only takes one incident at the wrong time to have things completely blown out of proportion and bring out the worst in the people who are so-called ‘fans’ of the sport. What shocked me was the extreme tone of hate, abuse, and even the death threats I received.”

Although Max Verstappen has been crowned champion, and the result of the race and championship is final, the unjustified hatred towards Latifi, whose crash unwittingly aided the Dutchman’s win, has been condemned by many in the F1 community.

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