2021 F1 Thread.

[tiny73]

It is so much easier to call troll when even you are struggling to sea lion him.
I do not subscribe to the Glock conspiracy as indeed he was struggling but he could have made things more difficult for LH.
However the point about MB tactical error is 100%. Yes, without the crash it was a winning strategy. But no race is guaranteed to be SC car free. You are all waxing lyrical about the lead LH built, which means his car was faster. An earlier change (during the VSC for example) would have given him victory in all scenarii. As would have an immediate pit after the crash. Not to mention the tyre advantage they threw away at the beginning.
But it is no doubt more convenient to blame it all on a third party.

Sorry SJ, I disagree entirely with your hypothesis about MB strategy. Track position was king especially since, under every safety car precedent set previously, that race would and should have finished under the safety car. Partially changing the rules on the last lap (for the show) can’t be factored into any strategy without a crystal ball. In fact Masi tweeted after the French GP in 2020 that “any lapped cars” means “all lapped cars” when MV/LH were complaining about how long the process of unlapping took. To change the rules to allow some, but not all, lapped cars through was wholly unforeseeable and makes a mockery of those last laps. (The lapped cars that were released were not even given time to reach the back of the pack).

A change to softer tyres under the VSC doesn’t guarantee Hamilton victory over a fresh soft tyre shod MV either. The tyre offset at that point made it nigh on impossible for MB to call the correct strategy. I’m not alleging conspiracy, more that strategy considerations are out of the window when the race director changes precedent on a whim, partially and without any kind of consistency.

[Saint-Just]

Sorry SJ, I disagree entirely with your hypothesis about MB strategy. Track position was king especially since, under every safety car precedent set previously, that race would and should have finished under the safety car. Partially changing the rules on the last lap (for the show) can’t be factored into any strategy without a crystal ball. In fact Masi tweeted after the French GP in 2020 that “any lapped cars” means “all lapped cars” when MV/LH were complaining about how long the process of unlapping took. To change the rules to allow some, but not all, lapped cars through was wholly unforeseeable and makes a mockery of those last laps. (The lapped cars that were released were not even given time to reach the back of the pack).

A change to softer tyres under the VSC doesn’t guarantee Hamilton victory over a fresh soft tyre shod MV either. The tyre offset at that point made it nigh on impossible for MB to call the correct strategy. I’m not alleging conspiracy, more that strategy considerations are out of the window when the race director changes precedent on a whim, partially and without any kind of consistency.

First you will note that 2 of the "errors" I put in MB's camp occurred BEFORE Latifi's accident. I would need to check if indeed LH's position on the track gave him access to pit lane soon enough to validate the 3rd error.
Second, the VSC tyre change will always remain an unanswered question so we can completely agree to disagree. I believe that MV would not have passed LH on fresher tyres as the speed differential between softs and medium was small with a car light on fuel, as proven with the starting grid. And it is I believe acknowledged that they threw away a potential advantage at the start.

Having said all that, it doesn't make the end of race any less messy or controversial. But -and not for the first time- MB chose their tactics against Lewis' opinion, and not for the first time and without the benefit of complex algorithms he is the one who was right.

[Tooks]

Race strategists work in real-time, not two weeks after the event, with the benefit of hindsight.

Whilst LH might have been questioning the teams strategy, he doesn’t have the full picture.

Whilst undoubtedly there are times when they’ve lost him a race, there will have been occasions when they have helped him win them as well.

[tiny73]

We can agree to disagree for sure, my point about strategy/tactics still stands though, track position was king. With “normal” (ie every other time) precedent followed the race finishes under the safety car, LH wins. It’s the change in precedent that negates the chosen strategy and makes MB decision not to pit earlier under VSC look incorrect.

Either way it’s done and 2022 is on the way.

[Saint-Just]

Race strategists work in real-time, not two weeks after the event, with the benefit of hindsight.

Whilst LH might have been questioning the teams strategy, he doesn’t have the full picture.

Whilst undoubtedly there are times when they’ve lost him a race, there will have been occasions when they have helped him win them as well.

No argument from me I'm general. However, while I accept we now have the benefit of hindsight, we do not have the same access to data and modelling capacity.
Now, what makes Masi decision controversial is the way he dealt with the last laps behind the SC, and whether he should have ended the race under SC or let all cars unlap themselves first.
Now imagine the exact same crash, at the same place, 2 or 3 laps earlier. Masi would not have had to take any special decision, follow the usual scenario, get all cars to unlap themselves and MV would still have won. That is what I mean when I say MB was complacent and did not cover all bases as they could have.

[optix]

Now imagine the exact same crash, at the same place, 2 or 3 laps earlier. Masi would not have had to take any special decision, follow the usual scenario, get all cars to unlap themselves and MV would still have won. That is what I mean when I say MB was complacent and did not cover all bases as they could have.

3 laps earlier is a completly different a scenario....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tiny73]

No argument from me I'm general. However, while I accept we now have the benefit of hindsight, we do not have the same access to data and modelling capacity.
Now, what makes Masi decision controversial is the way he dealt with the last laps behind the SC, and whether he should have ended the race under SC or let all cars unlap themselves first.
Now imagine the exact same crash, at the same place, 2 or 3 laps earlier. Masi would not have had to take any special decision, follow the usual scenario, get all cars to unlap themselves and MV would still have won. That is what I mean when I say MB was complacent and did not cover all bases as they could have.

3 laps earlier is a completly different a scenario....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Indeed, 3 laps earlier gives at least 1-2 laps of racing under a normal safety car precedent, then MB would’ve been forced to change tyres (and give up track position) but at least give LH an opportunity to race equally (without a huge tyre offset I mean)

[Saint-Just]

Indeed, 3 laps earlier gives at least 1-2 laps of racing under a normal safety car precedent, then MB would’ve been forced to change tyres (and give up track position) but at least give LH an opportunity to race equally (without a huge tyre offset I mean)

But... but... but...
Did I misread that according to so many of you in this thread that TW did not want to give up position because MV would have run LH off the track? Even one lap earlier, or Latifi's car cleared one lap sooner would have ended in exactly the same way. It's just how it is. Changing when under VSC would NOT have ended in a loss of position because LH would have shadowed MV and he would have had fresher and possibly softer tyres (medium?) at least.
They threw away their tyre advantage in lap 14/15 when they shadowed Max
They did not take advantage of the VSC on lap 37 while Max did. Thus Lewis had tyres that were already 22 laps older than Max's, and there was another 21 laps to go.

[watchcollector1]

It is so much easier to call troll when even you are struggling to sea lion him.
I do not subscribe to the Glock conspiracy as indeed he was struggling but he could have made things more difficult for LH..

Please explain how a driver losing 20 seconds in one lap because they stayed on slicks in heavy rain, make it difficult for a driver on wets to pass them?

I'm sure Glock was more preoccupied just trying to stay on the track.

[Saint-Just]

Please explain how a driver losing 20 seconds in one lap because they stayed on slicks in heavy rain, make it difficult for a driver on wets to pass them?

I'm sure Glock was more preoccupied just trying to stay on the track.

Do you believe MV in Glock's car would have been passed as easily? Don't bother to reply, I said I did not subscribe to a Clock conspiracy anyway, but you asked.

[watchcollector1]

Do you believe MV in Glock's car would have been passed as easily? Don't bother to reply, I said I did not subscribe to a Clock conspiracy anyway, but you asked.

Max Verstappen would trip up an old lady to stop her passing him on the pavement.

Bizarre that you think a driver on Slicks in heavy rain losing 20 seconds a lap can (fairly) keep another driver behind them. Even in Monaco Glock would've been a sitting duck.

[Saint-Just]

Bizarre you ignore my points when I dismissed the conspiracy. As to Monaco, there are a few places where passing would indeed have been unavoidable and others where even LH would struggle to pass a driver on slicks in the rain: aim to hold the inside of any turn and passing becomes a lottery on the outside as you don’t know if the other driver will lose the car and take you out in the process. TG and LH were friends and TG did the right thing by concentrating on his own race. Had TG been with FM things might have been different. I do not believe the result would have changed, just that LH would have had to work harder, despite his advantage in tyres (and talent).

[Dave+63]

But... but... but...
Did I misread that according to so many of you in this thread that TW did not want to give up position because MV would have run LH off the track? Even one lap earlier, or Latifi's car cleared one lap sooner would have ended in exactly the same way. It's just how it is. Changing when under VSC would NOT have ended in a loss of position because LH would have shadowed MV and he would have had fresher and possibly softer tyres (medium?) at least.
They threw away their tyre advantage in lap 14/15 when they shadowed Max
They did not take advantage of the VSC on lap 37 while Max did. Thus Lewis had tyres that were already 22 laps older than Max's, and there was another 21 laps to go.

Whilst not pitting LH either during the VSC or later under the full safety car, in hindsight, appear to be wrong moves, he would still have won the race had Masi not made the unprecedented decision that he did. They had done everything they needed to do in order to win the race.
Had the Marshalls cleared the track more quickly and left one legitimate racing lap, then there would not have been any controversy and Mercedes could rightly be held accountable. In the circumstances as they played out, it was purely Masi’s decision which cost Hamilton the title.

[Saint-Just]

Had the Marshalls cleared the track more quickly and left one legitimate racing lap, then there would not have been any controversy and Mercedes could rightly be held accountable. In the circumstances as they played out, it was purely Masi’s decision which cost Hamilton the title.

No real argument from me, apart from reading this as a confirmation that MB left themselves open to a defeat. What would have happened if LH had fitted mediums during the VSC, or even hards? Would MV had been able to pass (and prevent LH from passing again) with younger and/or softer tyres than the ones he had? And in that case would Masi's decision have been vilified (although arguably still wrong)? No one can be sure but I am pretty sure it is a discussion LH will have with the team.

[jaytip]

Whilst not pitting LH either during the VSC or later under the full safety car, in hindsight, appear to be wrong moves, he would still have won the race had Masi not made the unprecedented decision that he did. They had done everything they needed to do in order to win the race.
Had the Marshalls cleared the track more quickly and left one legitimate racing lap, then there would not have been any controversy and Mercedes could rightly be held accountable. In the circumstances as they played out, it was purely Masi’s decision which cost Hamilton the title.

100% this. I’ve been watching YouTube vids questioning drivers, pundits etc and not a single person, not one, agrees with Masis decision.
The anti Lewis/pro Max brigade can comment all they like that Mercedes got their strategy wrong. Had Masi followed protocol and not made it up on the fly, Lewis would now be 8 time world champion.

[snowman]

I suspect we have a troll in the house. Don’t feed the troll

Oh, yes, disagree with the Hamilton fanboys and you're a troll.

Truly pathetic...

As it happens I don't see a 'Glock Conspiracy' either, but one wonders if he'd have been as easy to pass if the positions back then was reversed.

This has come up because I said it was foolish to suggest changing the result to suit one driver because of results outside the control of another.

Of course, some see no fault in anything Mercedes do, conspiracy everywhere on RBR's part, bribery, race fixing, etc...

There are conspiracy theorists here, but it's not me...

The anti Lewis/pro Max brigade can comment all they like that Mercedes got their strategy wrong. Had Masi followed protocol and not made it up on the fly, Lewis would now be 8 time world champion.

Ho ho ho. I don't care who won, I don't like either driver much (although it's true Hamilton was hard done by)

You are absolutely right, but he did as he was in his rights to do, it seems, like it or not, and Mercedes' decision earlier lost Hamilton both.

He will be champion next year, so don't feel too sorry for him.

M

Sent from my ASUS_X00PD using Tapatalk

[watchcollector1]

Bizarre you ignore my points when I dismissed the conspiracy. As to Monaco, there are a few places where passing would indeed have been unavoidable and others where even LH would struggle to pass a driver on slicks in the rain: aim to hold the inside of any turn and passing becomes a lottery on the outside as you don’t know if the other driver will lose the car and take you out in the process. TG and LH were friends and TG did the right thing by concentrating on his own race. Had TG been with FM things might have been different. I do not believe the result would have changed, just that LH would have had to work harder, despite his advantage in tyres (and talent).

Classic straw man fallacy. I didn't accuse you of supporting the conspiracy, I was just responding to your claim that Glock should have tried to defend against Hamilton.

[Saint-Just]

Classic straw man fallacy. I didn't accuse you of supporting the conspiracy, I was just responding to your claim that Glock should have tried to defend against Hamilton.

And I explained why I believe he could have tried harder. No fallacy here, rather you are the one bringing Glock back over and over when I had dismissed the issue in a discussion about this year's Abu Dhabi GP.

[tiny73]

But... but... but...
Did I misread that according to so many of you in this thread that TW did not want to give up position because MV would have run LH off the track? Even one lap earlier, or Latifi's car cleared one lap sooner would have ended in exactly the same way. It's just how it is. Changing when under VSC would NOT have ended in a loss of position because LH would have shadowed MV and he would have had fresher and possibly softer tyres (medium?) at least.
They threw away their tyre advantage in lap 14/15 when they shadowed Max
They did not take advantage of the VSC on lap 37 while Max did. Thus Lewis had tyres that were already 22 laps older than Max's, and there was another 21 laps to go.

I didn’t suggest TW was scared of MV running Lewis off track, if that had’ve happened then I think we’d have seen punishments handed out (in the same way that the stewards didn’t penalise LH on lap 1as MV ran him off track, Masis words, not mine).

The VSC ended just as LH came up to the pit so his stop wouldn’t have been “free” (although I’ll conceded that he may have the chance the lap previously?). Besides, when you’re beaten on pace the only strategy is do the opposite of your competition so if LH pits under the VSC (if possible without loss of 20 secs)then chances are MV stays out anyhow, gaining track position.

Mercedes are damned if they do and damned if they don’t but at least under the normal application of the safety car they knew that it would take X no of laps to clear the SC then the lapped cars, then the race finishes under the SC. The strategy was determined at that point on normal precedent of the SC which was very clearly not followed in order to create a last lap spectacle between two of the field but not all of the field. Hence a sh*tshow. You can only apply a strategy based on precedent, if it’s made up on the fly your strategy is a throw of the dice, in fact it’s not a strategy, it’s simply a gamble.

[Saint-Just]

There is no way MB could know how long it would take to clear the track, at least until the crane got there.
And I did not have you specifically in mind when I mentioned MB being afraid of Max behaviour. Read the thread (from Sunday onwards) to see what I mean.

[jaytip]

There is no way MB could know how long it would take to clear the track, at least until the crane got there.
And I did not have you specifically in mind when I mentioned MB being afraid of Max behaviour. Read the thread (from Sunday onwards) to see what I mean.

I know who you meant, you meant me. Admit it or not, Max has form for bullying cars off the track, the evidence is there for all to see, and while it can never be proven now, I’d bet that if the situation were reversed and it was Max who could only win by beating Lewis (both retiring resulting in him losing) then he would be a little less robust in trying to overtake.
Regards the safety car, if protocol was followed, move car, clear track, wave all lapped cars past, safety car in at the end of the following lap, then yes, Mercedes’ would have had a pretty good idea.

[Andyg]

And I explained why I believe he could have tried harder. No fallacy here, rather you are the one bringing Glock back over and over when I had dismissed the issue in a discussion about this year's Abu Dhabi GP.

Watch the last Glock lap again - it’s available on YouTube. You will see perfectly clearly that he was struggling to keep his car on the road, which is why he was passed by 5 (FIVE) cars on that lap. I’m not sure how much harder you expected him to try.

[tiny73]

There is no way MB could know how long it would take to clear the track, at least until the crane got there.
And I did not have you specifically in mind when I mentioned MB being afraid of Max behaviour. Read the thread (from Sunday onwards) to see what I mean.

No worries, this is a civilised debate anyhow 😉

Granted they wouldn’t know exactly how long a safety car would be out but they have a good idea of how many laps the post clearance procedure *should* take and can calculate based on how many laps of the race remain. I’m not 100% certain but I think LH queries the choice about pitting and Bono states something like “negative, race will finish behind SC. And of course had Masi not made it up as he went along it would have finished behind the SC.

[Jon Kenney]

Nicholas Latifi releases a statement regarding online bullying.

There's some very sick individuals out there.

Hi everyone,
I’ve purposely been staying away from social media to kind of let things settle down from the events of the last race.
A lot has been made of the situation that came about after my retirement in Abu Dhabi. I’ve received thousands of messages to my social media accounts – publicly and via DMs. Most have been supportive, but there’s been a lot of hate and abuse, too.
I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to go about handling this. Do I ignore it and carry on? Or do I address it and tackle the bigger issue that is sadly a reality when you use social media?
This isn’t some scripted statement, but rather me speaking my mind in the hope that this maybe sparks another conversation about online bullying and the drastic consequences it can have on people. Using social media as a channel to attack somebody with messages of hate, abuse and threats of violence is shocking – and something I am calling out.
Going back to the race weekend, as soon as the checkered flag dropped, I knew how things were likely to play out on social media. The fact that I felt it would be best if I deleted Instagram and Twitter on my phone for a few days says all we need to know about how cruel the online world can be.
The ensuing hate, abuse, and threats on social media were not really a surprise to me as it’s just the stark reality of the world we live in right now. I’m no stranger to being talked about negatively online, I think every sports person who competes on the world stage knows they’re under extreme scrutiny and this comes with the territory sometimes.
But as we’ve seen time and time again, across all different sports, it only takes one incident at the wrong time to have things completely blown out of proportion and bring out the worst in people who are so-called ‘fans’ of the sport. What shocked me was the extreme tone of the hate, abuse, and even the death threats I received.
Reflecting on what happened during the race, there was really only one group of people I needed to apologize to for the DNF: my team. I did that right afterwards. Everything else that followed was out of my control.
Some people said I was racing for a position that didn’t matter with only a handful of laps remaining. But whether I am racing for wins, podiums, points or even last place, I will always give it my all until the checkered flag. I’m the same as every other driver on the grid in that regard. To the people who don’t understand or don’t agree with that, that’s fine with me. You can have your opinion. But to use those opinions to fuel hatred, abuse and threats of violence, not only to me, but to those closest to me as well, tells me these people are not true fans of the sport.
Thankfully, I’m comfortable enough in my own skin, and I’ve been in this world long enough that I can do a pretty good job of just letting any negativity wash over me. But I know I’m not alone in thinking that a negative comment always seems to stick out more – and can sometimes be enough to drown out 100 positive ones.
People will have their opinions, and that’s fine. Having a thick skin is a huge part of being an athlete, especially when you are constantly in a position to be scrutinized. But many of the comments I received last week crossed the line into something far more extreme. It concerns me how somebody else might react if this same level of abuse was ever directed at them. No one should let the activities of a vocal minority dictate who they are.
Events in the last week have made me see how important it is to work together to stop this kind of thing happening and to support those on the receiving end. I realize I’m unlikely to convince those who acted in this way towards me to change their ways – and they may even try to use this message against me – but it’s right to call out this kind of behavior and not stay silent.
To all the fans and people that did have my back during this whole situation, I want to say a huge thank you. I’ve seen and read a lot of your messages and they are much appreciated. It’s nice to know I have so many people supporting me.
Sport is by its very nature competitive – but it should bring people together, not drive them apart. If sharing my thoughts, and highlighting the need for action, helps just one person, then it was worth it.
As we look forward to the New Year, I truly hope my experiences after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix help reinforce that message, and my New Year’s resolution is to look at ways I can support that process. Just be kind everyone!
I want to wish you all happy holidays, stay safe, and I look forward to all of us getting back on track in 2022.
Nicky

[Andyg]

No worries, this is a civilised debate anyhow 

Granted they wouldn’t know exactly how long a safety car would be out but they have a good idea of how many laps the post clearance procedure *should* take and can calculate based on how many laps of the race remain. I’m not 100% certain but I think LH queries the choice about pitting and Bono states something like “negative, race will finish behind SC. And of course had Masi not made it up as he went along it would have finished behind the SC.

Based upon previous safety car incidents, it’s typically takes 3 laps from the point the track is clear, for the race to restart. Normally the process goes like this.

Allow all lapped cars over take the safety car.
Allow all lapped to rejoin the unlapped cars at the back or the train.
Inform the drivers that the safety car is coming in.
The safety car comes in on the following lap.
If the track wasn’t clear until Lap 55, then the race should have finished under safety car.

The alternative to this (with a safety car), would have been

Wait until the track was clear.
Leave all cars in their current position and inform the drivers that the safety car was coming in.
The safety car comes in on the next next.
The races starts again for the remaining laps.

Masi said after the Eiffel GP 2020 “There is requirement in the sporting regulations to wave ALL lapped cars passed”. So basically he unilaterally changed to rules at the end of the GP. Why? I have no idea, but it certainly hasn’t helped F1. Not only did it hurt Hamilton, but Sainz had 2 lapped cars between him a Max so couldn’t mount his own attack (he also had new tyres), and Norris who was about 50 seconds behind Bottas. It also prevent Vettel and Danny R from challenging point positions.

The more I read about this the worse it gets to be honest.

[Andyg]

[QUOTE=Jon Kenney;5898701]Nicholas Latifi releases a statement regarding online bullying.

There's some very sick individuals out there……..

Totally agreed. Social Media has made F1 as toxic as football in that respect, but Latifi is lucky he has only experienced the hate for a week or so. Some drivers have been subjected to it for years.

[warhog]

Nicholas Latifi releases a statement regarding online bullying.

There's some very sick individuals out there.

Hi everyone,
I’ve purposely been staying away from social media to kind of let things settle down from the events of the last race.
A lot has been made of the situation that came about after my retirement in Abu Dhabi. I’ve received thousands of messages to my social media accounts – publicly and via DMs. Most have been supportive, but there’s been a lot of hate and abuse, too.
I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to go about handling this. Do I ignore it and carry on? Or do I address it and tackle the bigger issue that is sadly a reality when you use social media?
This isn’t some scripted statement, but rather me speaking my mind in the hope that this maybe sparks another conversation about online bullying and the drastic consequences it can have on people. Using social media as a channel to attack somebody with messages of hate, abuse and threats of violence is shocking – and something I am calling out.
Going back to the race weekend, as soon as the checkered flag dropped, I knew how things were likely to play out on social media. The fact that I felt it would be best if I deleted Instagram and Twitter on my phone for a few days says all we need to know about how cruel the online world can be.
The ensuing hate, abuse, and threats on social media were not really a surprise to me as it’s just the stark reality of the world we live in right now. I’m no stranger to being talked about negatively online, I think every sports person who competes on the world stage knows they’re under extreme scrutiny and this comes with the territory sometimes.
But as we’ve seen time and time again, across all different sports, it only takes one incident at the wrong time to have things completely blown out of proportion and bring out the worst in people who are so-called ‘fans’ of the sport. What shocked me was the extreme tone of the hate, abuse, and even the death threats I received.
Reflecting on what happened during the race, there was really only one group of people I needed to apologize to for the DNF: my team. I did that right afterwards. Everything else that followed was out of my control.
Some people said I was racing for a position that didn’t matter with only a handful of laps remaining. But whether I am racing for wins, podiums, points or even last place, I will always give it my all until the checkered flag. I’m the same as every other driver on the grid in that regard. To the people who don’t understand or don’t agree with that, that’s fine with me. You can have your opinion. But to use those opinions to fuel hatred, abuse and threats of violence, not only to me, but to those closest to me as well, tells me these people are not true fans of the sport.
Thankfully, I’m comfortable enough in my own skin, and I’ve been in this world long enough that I can do a pretty good job of just letting any negativity wash over me. But I know I’m not alone in thinking that a negative comment always seems to stick out more – and can sometimes be enough to drown out 100 positive ones.
People will have their opinions, and that’s fine. Having a thick skin is a huge part of being an athlete, especially when you are constantly in a position to be scrutinized. But many of the comments I received last week crossed the line into something far more extreme. It concerns me how somebody else might react if this same level of abuse was ever directed at them. No one should let the activities of a vocal minority dictate who they are.
Events in the last week have made me see how important it is to work together to stop this kind of thing happening and to support those on the receiving end. I realize I’m unlikely to convince those who acted in this way towards me to change their ways – and they may even try to use this message against me – but it’s right to call out this kind of behavior and not stay silent.
To all the fans and people that did have my back during this whole situation, I want to say a huge thank you. I’ve seen and read a lot of your messages and they are much appreciated. It’s nice to know I have so many people supporting me.
Sport is by its very nature competitive – but it should bring people together, not drive them apart. If sharing my thoughts, and highlighting the need for action, helps just one person, then it was worth it.
As we look forward to the New Year, I truly hope my experiences after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix help reinforce that message, and my New Year’s resolution is to look at ways I can support that process. Just be kind everyone!
I want to wish you all happy holidays, stay safe, and I look forward to all of us getting back on track in 2022.
Nicky

can't help but feel for the guy. Hasn't been his season and this is a bad way to end it.

- - - Updated - - -

Nicholas Latifi releases a statement regarding online bullying.

There's some very sick individuals out there.

Hi everyone,
I’ve purposely been staying away from social media to kind of let things settle down from the events of the last race.
A lot has been made of the situation that came about after my retirement in Abu Dhabi. I’ve received thousands of messages to my social media accounts – publicly and via DMs. Most have been supportive, but there’s been a lot of hate and abuse, too.
I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to go about handling this. Do I ignore it and carry on? Or do I address it and tackle the bigger issue that is sadly a reality when you use social media?
This isn’t some scripted statement, but rather me speaking my mind in the hope that this maybe sparks another conversation about online bullying and the drastic consequences it can have on people. Using social media as a channel to attack somebody with messages of hate, abuse and threats of violence is shocking – and something I am calling out.
Going back to the race weekend, as soon as the checkered flag dropped, I knew how things were likely to play out on social media. The fact that I felt it would be best if I deleted Instagram and Twitter on my phone for a few days says all we need to know about how cruel the online world can be.
The ensuing hate, abuse, and threats on social media were not really a surprise to me as it’s just the stark reality of the world we live in right now. I’m no stranger to being talked about negatively online, I think every sports person who competes on the world stage knows they’re under extreme scrutiny and this comes with the territory sometimes.
But as we’ve seen time and time again, across all different sports, it only takes one incident at the wrong time to have things completely blown out of proportion and bring out the worst in people who are so-called ‘fans’ of the sport. What shocked me was the extreme tone of the hate, abuse, and even the death threats I received.
Reflecting on what happened during the race, there was really only one group of people I needed to apologize to for the DNF: my team. I did that right afterwards. Everything else that followed was out of my control.
Some people said I was racing for a position that didn’t matter with only a handful of laps remaining. But whether I am racing for wins, podiums, points or even last place, I will always give it my all until the checkered flag. I’m the same as every other driver on the grid in that regard. To the people who don’t understand or don’t agree with that, that’s fine with me. You can have your opinion. But to use those opinions to fuel hatred, abuse and threats of violence, not only to me, but to those closest to me as well, tells me these people are not true fans of the sport.
Thankfully, I’m comfortable enough in my own skin, and I’ve been in this world long enough that I can do a pretty good job of just letting any negativity wash over me. But I know I’m not alone in thinking that a negative comment always seems to stick out more – and can sometimes be enough to drown out 100 positive ones.
People will have their opinions, and that’s fine. Having a thick skin is a huge part of being an athlete, especially when you are constantly in a position to be scrutinized. But many of the comments I received last week crossed the line into something far more extreme. It concerns me how somebody else might react if this same level of abuse was ever directed at them. No one should let the activities of a vocal minority dictate who they are.
Events in the last week have made me see how important it is to work together to stop this kind of thing happening and to support those on the receiving end. I realize I’m unlikely to convince those who acted in this way towards me to change their ways – and they may even try to use this message against me – but it’s right to call out this kind of behavior and not stay silent.
To all the fans and people that did have my back during this whole situation, I want to say a huge thank you. I’ve seen and read a lot of your messages and they are much appreciated. It’s nice to know I have so many people supporting me.
Sport is by its very nature competitive – but it should bring people together, not drive them apart. If sharing my thoughts, and highlighting the need for action, helps just one person, then it was worth it.
As we look forward to the New Year, I truly hope my experiences after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix help reinforce that message, and my New Year’s resolution is to look at ways I can support that process. Just be kind everyone!
I want to wish you all happy holidays, stay safe, and I look forward to all of us getting back on track in 2022.
Nicky

can't help but feel for the guy. Hasn't been his season and this is a bad way to end it.