Shocking online abuse in Formula 2 sparks outrage, prompting urgent calls for respect from the FIA, McLaren, and the racing community.
Is harassment becoming increasingly normalized in motorsport? That is the concern raised by the comments received by several drivers recently. Alex Dunne, who caused a pile-up at the start in Monaco (photo below), broke down in tears during the press conference in Barcelona a week later.
In response, Richard Verschoor (photo above) lamented messages that, according to him, “should not be a standard” but seem to occur endlessly: “F*** you Verschoor, you’re going to pay,” as well as “Richard Verschoor, when I get my hands on you…” and “Verschoor, you’d better run because I’m going to chase you with a knife.”
Drivers’ distress appears to be growing, as they are constantly immersed in proximity to the public, at least virtually. Dunne revealed he removed all social media apps from his phone, but the FIA, F2, and F3 have reminded everyone that it should not come to this.
“On behalf of our teams and drivers, F1, F2, F3, and the FIA, as part of their ‘United Against Online Abuse’ campaign, strongly condemn harassment in all its forms. We will continue to act collectively and report abuse on social media platforms,” read an official statement.
“Whether you are a fan or part of the motorsport world, we are all driven by passion. At the heart of it all are human beings. We ask everyone to remain respectful toward the athletes and their teams.”
It is hard to imagine that a simple statement will cause those making such vile remarks to reflect. Andrea Stella, team principal of McLaren F1, for whom Dunne is a junior driver, defended him: “I think we must realize that we live in a difficult world where people can attack others without basis, sometimes without competence.”
“So we fully support Alex, not only on the track but also off it. I felt a bit sorry for him, but I am also very proud that he showed his reaction, that he was authentic and natural, but I appeal to our general sense of responsibility.”
“We need to ensure that in everything we do, we try to avoid situations that may become too controversial, without referring to Alex’s situation, without referring to what has been written in the media, I know what has been written in the comments. But the sense of responsibility is the main message I would like to convey.”
Dunne has been criticized for his sometimes aggressive driving style, and Stella maintains that it is part of his development process: “Alex is doing very well, he is a very fast, very talented driver, and the situation he experienced in Monaco is one of those from which one can learn a lot.”
“If we think about it, several world champions have experienced significant moments that helped refine their driving. We have had good conversations with Alex to reaffirm our full support for his talent, for the championship he is fighting in – we still see a very mature person.”
“The way he raced today, the way he managed to overtake cars very cleanly in the first lap, to stay calm and to see how the situation developed, and to capitalize when the opportunity arose, was an immediate response to the situation he experienced in Monaco and to the pressure that came from those social media comments. For me, it is something that makes me very proud of him.”