Formula 1 star receives 13,000 death threats: FIA takes urgent action following horrific abuse
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Ben Sulayem revealed that Gasly received as many as 13,000 death threats, with the vile abuse targeting not only the French driver but his family as well.
The wave of online abuse erupted following the Madrid Grand Prix in mid-September, triggered by an on-track incident where Gasly allegedly impeded his teammate, Argentine driver Franco Colapinto. A faction of the Argentine driver's fanbase took the on-track dispute too far, unleashing mass harassment across social media.
The FIA chief warned of the severity of the situation, stressing that online abuse affects not only drivers, but race officials as well.
"We had a female steward who was targeted with death and rape threats, after which she simply said it wasn't worth it and walked away. We risk losing the sport because of online abuse," Ben Sulayem stated.
To stamp out this behaviour, motorsport's governing body has been forced to deploy advanced artificial intelligence tools to identify accounts spreading hate and threats.
The FIA has promised severe sanctions, including lifetime circuit bans and blocks across official platforms, while also launching the "United Against Online Abuse" campaign to raise awareness and educate the public.
Meanwhile, Argentine driver Franco Colapinto also addressed the issue, releasing a video message asking his fans to understand the line between passionate support and abusing others.
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