F1 drivers rally around Antonelli after abuse from ‘scum of the earth’

On the eve of Formula 1’s season finale in Abu Dhabi, drivers set aside championship pressures to deliver a powerful collective message: the online abuse aimed at Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli after the Qatar Grand Prix was unacceptable, and the sport must do more to protect its youngest competitors.

Antonelli, just 19, found himself at the centre of a storm he never saw coming. After running wide late in the race and losing a position to Lando Norris, the Italian was flooded with abusive messages – including death threats – fuelled in large part by speculation that he had intentionally let the McLaren by.

Red Bull’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase had told Max Verstappen it “looked like” Antonelli had “just pulled over”, and Helmut Marko went further, alleging he had deliberately waved Norris through – an accusation the Austrian retracted the following day while Red Bull also issued a formal apology.

The damage however how already been done.

“It was not easy to get all those kind of comments, after the race, especially for something that I would never do such as waving past a competitor,” the Mercedes driver said on Thursday at Yas Marina.

“I was fighting for P3. At the end of the day, I was pushing hard and I was trying to get into the DRS of Sainz. After so many laps in dirty air I’m pushing so hard, the mistake arrived, because I obviously every lap I was pushing a bit more and more to get closer and I arrived to the point where the tyre gave up.

“At that moment I did a mistake and Lando passed me and, you know, then after the race to receive those kind of comments, definitely it hurt.”

Antonelli shared that both Verstappen and Norris reached out privately with support and that he later spoke directly with the Dutchman and Lambiase. But among his peers, the feeling was clear: no driver should be treated this way.

Bearman: 'They're scum of the earth'

The most blistering condemnation came from Haas rookie Oliver Bearman, who spoke with visible frustration at the treatment of a fellow newcomer.

"I think generally it's always the case that people behind the screen are horrible and they're scum of the earth, really,” he said. "I don't think they should be doing that type of stuff to someone.

“I understand that people who've been in F1 for a very long time can get used to it and people who are rookies, it may be their first experience having that type of criticism, but that criticism is an absolute joke.

“It shouldn't be tolerated and I know the FIA are doing everything they can to stop that, but the problem is these sad people giving those types of criticisms. It's a joke.

“We're putting our lives on the line to entertain people and to give the people who are passionate for the sport a good time and you have people like that who are just hurting people and that's not just racing, that's also their personal life and I just think people are terrible.”

Bearman acknowledged he hasn’t faced anything comparable, chalking it up to having a quieter start at Haas.

"I didn't face that level of criticism, but that comes as part of being in a team like Haas rather than Mercedes.

“So, you know, there's also a benefit of starting your career in a team like Haas. You're a bit less in the limelight. You have the possibility to make mistakes and be less criticised for those.”

Russell and Leclerc Add Their Voices

George Russell, Antonelli’s teammate and the head of the GPDA, pointed directly to the spark that set the fire.

"It all started with a mistake from the Red Bull guys, and of course, they apologised, and that's okay,” Russell said. “People make a mistake, especially when you don't have the full facts.

“But I think those thousands of people behind their keyboards have no excuse and really need to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror and think why that is acceptable - not just for F1, but just society altogether.

"I just struggle to comprehend it, really.”

Sitting beside him, Charles Leclerc echoed that sense of disbelief.

"Those people face no consequence for their words and for their disrespect towards drivers,” he said.
“So, it's not up to us to think about the consequences that they should endure, but it's a big shame because we're all here trying to do our absolute best.

"We've done racing since we were kids, dreaming of being in that position, and today we're doing absolutely everything in order to be at the limit. And sometimes mistakes happen.

“In that particular case, also, the hate was for absolutely nothing."

Isack Hadjar, soon to join Red Bull, didn’t hold back either, calling the abusers “idiots”.

• Read also: Red Bull, Marko walk back Antonelli accusation after firestorm

For a young driver in his debut season, facing the intensity of Formula 1 is challenging enough. Facing cruelty from strangers after a simple racing error cuts far deeper.

Antonelli has kept his composure through it all, supported by rivals and teammates alike. The message from the grid is unified, emotional, and unambiguous: abuse has no place in the sport.

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