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Research studies by The Female Driver and Pareto labs have revealed harrowing details of the level of abuse Max Verstappen received in October and November last season.
The toxic fandom in F1 has been growing since 2021, and it has reached an alarming level recently. Verstappen, alongside Lewis Hamilton, has been one of the biggest targets of online abuse in the last two years.
In the report, it was revealed that out of 100,000 comments made about Verstappen between October and November, 20% were abusive. Out of these 100,000 comments, 9% were termed "high risk" for their abusive nature. Overall, 16,500 comments were considered toxic, while 4,500 were considered severely toxic.
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A lot ot these comments were made in the aftermath of the races in Singapore and Brazil. The proximity of events like Red Bull's cost cap breach report or Verstappen disobeying team orders to let Sergio Perez through added fuel to the fire.
Both the F1 and the FIA have expressed concern over the online abuse drivers have been subjected to in the last two years. This season, the online hate will once again be in the spotlight, and it will be interesting to see if any steps are taken to prevent that from happening.
Verstappen is not the only driver who has been a target of online abuse. The likes of Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon haven't been spared either.
Max Verstappen not planning to stay in F1 for long
Verstappen is not entirely sure of how long he will stay in F1. In a recent interview, he talked about how he wasn't sure how long he will continue in the sport.
He already has a contract till 2028, when he will turn 31, Whether he wants to continue being in F1 beyond that is a question the Duthcman does not have an answer to. He said:
“The problem is that we are traveling so much, and it’s getting more and more … basically, the question is, ‘Is it worth it to spend so much time away from family and friends by chasing more success?’ And I mean, I already achieved everything I wanted in Formula One. But I know I have a contract until 2028. I’ll be 31. It’s still pretty young, but like I said, I also want to do different things in life.”
Verstappen is heading into the 2023 season hoping to win what would be his third straight world title.
