Canadian Nicholas Latifi spoke out on Tuesday after receiving loss of life threats and on-line abuse over a crash on the Dec. 12 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that led to Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen profitable the Formulation One title and Lewis Hamilton lacking out.

The Williams driver introduced out the security automotive late within the race, with a change in process giving Verstappen the chance to go Mercedes’ Hamilton on the final lap.

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Earlier than the crash, Hamilton had been heading for a document eighth title.

Latifi mentioned in a assertion that he had determined to handle the difficulty of abuse after staying off social media to let issues calm down.

He mentioned he hoped to spark one other dialog concerning the “drastic penalties” of on-line bullying.

“I’ve acquired hundreds of messages to my social media accounts…most have been supportive, however there’s been lots of hate and abuse, too,” the 26-year-old mentioned.

“As we have seen time and time once more, throughout all completely different sports activities, it solely takes one incident on the fallacious time to have issues utterly blown out of proportion and produce out the worst in people who find themselves so-called ‘followers’ of the game.

“What shocked me was the intense tone of the hate, abuse, and even the loss of life threats I acquired.”

Latifi mentioned that he had apologised to his workforce for the crash and that the remainder was out of his management. He mentioned that he was no stranger to damaging feedback about his performances and that having a thick pores and skin was a part of being an athlete.

“However lots of the feedback I acquired final week crossed the road into one thing much more excessive. It issues me how someone else would possibly react if this identical stage of abuse was ever directed at them,” he added.

Latifi’s scenario was much like that of German Timo Glock in 2008, when the Toyota driver acquired loss of life threats after being handed by Hamilton on the final nook of the final lap of the ultimate race in Brazil.

Hamilton received that title, his first, with Ferrari’s Felipe Massa shedding out.

Verstappen spoke out in Latifi’s defence final week, saying accidents have been simply part of motor racing and it might be unfair accountable the Canadian.