“They started attacking my family” - Max Verstappen chastises social media abuse received in the wake of Brazilian GP fiasco

Max Verstappen has thrashed not only fans but the media as well for the kind of abuse he and his family went through on social media after the 2022 F1 Brazilian GP. After Sao Paulo, the Dutchman was on the receiving end of social media as everyone chastised the driver and painted him as a villain for the fiasco.

Speaking to the media during the pre-race drivers' conference, Max Verstappen opened up on the kind of abuse his family had been put through in the last week. He said:

“But, after that race, I looked very bad in the media. They didn’t have the clear picture. But to immediately put me down like that is pretty ridiculous to be honest. Because they don’t know how I work within the team. And what the team appreciates about me. So, all the things that I’ve read are pretty disgusting. And also, even more than that, they started attacking my family, they were threatening my sister and my mum, my girlfriend, my dad – and for me, that goes way too far when you don’t have the facts of what actually was going on. And that definitely has to stop.”

Max Verstappen further added that the way his family was attacked was just unacceptable in every which way. He said:

“If you have a problem with me, that’s fine, but don’t go after my family because that is just unacceptable. We move on. Honestly I have a great relationship with Checo. But I don’t understand when people don’t have the full picture to immediately start attacking me like that. I hope one day they actually understand what was going on because it’s just unacceptable behaviour [from] so many people. Also, in this paddock to be honest. It’s not only fans, but a lot of people what they have been writing about me is just ridiculous.”

---

It was about something from earlier in the season: Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen did not delve too much into what was the bone of contention between him and Sergio Perez in Brazil. The Red Bull driver did hint that it was something that happened earlier in the season. He said:

“It was about something that happened earlier in the season and I already explained that [to Red Bull] in Mexico. The team understood and agreed. We went to Brazil and I just thought: ‘We’re just going to race, try to get the best possible result’. And we had a bit of a miscommunication on the Saturday and Sunday – nothing had been said to me about a potential swap. It only came into that last lap that it was said on the radio. They should’ve known my response already from what I said the week before. After that race [in Brazil], we had some good discussions – we put everything on the table and everything has been solved.”

Max Verstappen's reporting of abuse makes it the fourth case of a driver or team facing vitriol on social media in the last seven days. The next steps of action from the sport will be interesting to see.