Stéphane Kox condemns the verbal terror in Formula 1 and wants to ban that “misery” on social media. The Viaplay pit reporter writes this in a column on the Formule1.nl website. “Drivers, but certainly also fans, journalists and presenters are increasingly becoming victims of verbal and especially online violence,” said Kox, who interviews the drivers during the broadcasts.
“Even the figureheads of the sport, the drivers, no longer make a secret of the fact that they have to deal with misery much more often than desired. Take Nicolas Latifi for example. He was threatened with death after causing the safety car during the last race of last season in Abu Dhabi. But Lando Norris, the normally cheerful jovial Brit, was also candid about threats against himself and his girlfriend. If you ask me, these are stories to disgust,” writes Kox .
She is a strong supporter of “eliminating this misery, not at least because it happens to me too. We as television makers, journalists, reporters, et cetera often have to deal with this kind of violence and bullying. Whether you are a Formula 1 driver or pit reporter, it touches you. It does something to you.”
Kox refers to the Drive It Out campaign, which Formula 1 recently started in collaboration with all twenty drivers. “Now I hear you think; another politically correct, media-oriented campaign. But, if you ask me, that’s not the case this time. People want to get a message across, because it’s really time for that.