F1, Nicholas Latifi denounces bullying via social media after the accident in the Abu Dhabi GP

Nicholas Latifi returns to speak after the incident of the Abu Dhabi F1 GP that decided the world dispute between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. In a long letter published on his official website, the Canadian Williams driver said he was sorry for the relevance of his driving error, but he also faced the mud car that inevitably spilled on his social channels immediately after the flag at chess by Yas Marina.

f1, cyberbullying on latifi

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“I was deliberately far – writes the twenty-six year old from Montreal – from the internet to elaborate the events of the last GP. I have received thousands of messages on my social accounts, publicly and privately. Many were supportive, others contained hateful words. Since the race ended, I have understood what would happen on social media and the fact that the best thing was to delete Instagram and Twitter from my phone speaks volumes about how cruel the people of the web can be. I am no stranger to the fact that people speak badly of me, it is something that happens to all sportsmen who compete at certain levels. But it took only an accident at the wrong time to blow up the story in a completely disproportionate way, triggering the comments of the worst people who call themselves fan of this sport. I was shocked by the words of hatred, violence and even the death threats I received ”.

the latifi reaction

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Latifi then apologized to his team for the mistake, replying to all those who considered the battle with Mick Schumacher useless, who then brought the Williams number 6 against the wall in turn 14: “The only people I have to apologize to for the withdrawal are the ones who work in my team, and I did it immediately after the accident. Everything else was out of my control. Someone said I was fighting for a position that didn’t matter, but as long as I’m in the car I’ll give it my all, regardless of whether there’s a win, a podium, a point or even the last position at stake. It is the same for all the riders who take to the track every Sunday. I can respect those who disagree but I want to tell all those who have used a language of hatred and violence, not only with me but also with my loved ones, that they are not true fans. Fortunately, I’m fine with myself and have been in this world long enough to let the negativity slip over me. “

latifi’s anti-bully purpose

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There was no shortage of thanks to the true fans who understood the difficult moment of the Williams home rider: “To all the people who supported me in this complicated phase, I can only send a huge thank you. I have read all your messages and have greatly appreciated them, it is good to have so many people supporting you. Sport is by its very nature a competitive environment, but it should unite rather than divide people. We cannot remain silent in the face of these situations and if, in pointing out these things and inviting people to react, I have helped even one person who has received the same treatment as me, then it will have been worth it. I hope my experience after the Abu Dhabi GP has reinforced the message. My New Year’s resolution is to spend myself fighting this attitude. Just be kind ”.