AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly is all too aware of the ever-present criticism that sips through social media, but the Frenchman insists he uses the negativity to boost his motivation.
Gasly's troubled 2019 season, which saw him promoted from Toro Rosso to Red Bull only to return to the junior squad after F1's summer break, placed the Frenchman in the line of sight of online critics.
There were those that took aim at Gasly for his lackluster results relative to Max Verstappen and others that lambasted Red Bull for its unfair treatment of the young charger.
But the firing squads that run rampant on social media are just par for the course as far as Gasly is concerned.
"In 2019 and 2020 our generation, everybody is on social media," Gasly told RACER.
"Except Seb (Vettel) who is the only one and the only exception! We are still pushing him to be on Instagram, because it’s not normal these days not to be on social media.
"Obviously you see what’s happening, you see what people are saying.
"In my life, since I was really little, people were telling me, ‘It’s impossible you’re going to make it to F1. Only 20 drivers are in F1, why are you even trying? Blah, blah, blah…’
"I’ve always managed to transform these negative thoughts and negative energy into something positive inside of me.
"To trigger more energy and even stronger motivation and will, and always came out stronger from this negative energy that people were trying to send me."
"I’ve always been used to living with that sort of thing," he added.
"When you are exposed, when you are a top athlete, especially at the top level of a sport – whether it’s Formula 1 or football or basketball – you are always judged for everything you do.
"People easily forget what you have done in the past and why you are here – you’re always judged for the last performance."
Gasly's painful relegation last summer sparked endless debates on social media about his merits, or lack of, and Red Bull's treatment of young drivers.
The Frenchman says the fans' assumptions were expressed without proper knowledge of the facts. The 24-year-old accepts that shortfall, but on the other hand don't count on him to fill in the blanks.
"I just think people judged without having all the information," he said. "As a professional athlete and professional driver I can’t speak, there’s stuff that needs to stay confidential.
"That’s why when people judge without having all the information, sometimes they’re wrong, but that’s their opinion and I accept it.
"I’m a Red Bull-contracted driver, and it’s also thanks to them they brought me into Formula 1.
"What happened in those six months doesn’t change the relationship and what they’ve done for me.
"There were problems, there were struggles, there were things that could have been fixed, and if we had to do this story again a lot of things would be different.
“But at the same time I’m still contracted with them, we’ve spoken about the things that didn’t go well, but then it’s not up to me to come into the media and say ‘This wasn’t right and this was wrong’.
"It’s not the right thing to do, and that’s why I don’t do it."
“Of course then you need to deal with the negative thoughts and negative energy sometimes, but there are a lot of people that are bringing positive energy and positive vibes, and that’s the people I’m focusing on and that are supporting."
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