Formula 1: Latifi received threats for his life after Abu Dhabi

In the revelation that after the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix accepted and… receives threats against his life Nicholas Latifi proceeded with a letter published today.

Latifi, who with his resignation, played a role – if not determined – the course of the fight with the conquest of the title by Max Ferstappen, talks about messages with insults and threats from social media users and not only.

Details of what he wrote:



“Hi to all,

I deliberately stayed away from social media in order to let things calm down after what happened in the last race.

Much has been said about the situation that has arisen since my departure to Abu Dhabi. I have received thousands of messages on my social media profiles, both public and private. Most were supportive, but there were many with hatred and insults, too.

I tried to find the best way to handle it all. Do I ignore it and continue? Or do I face it and stand on the bigger issue, which is unfortunately a reality when you use social media?

This is not a written statement, but rather the thoughts in my mind in the hope that all this can “ignite” another discussion about online bullying and the drastic effects it can have on people. Using social media as a “channel” to attack someone with hate messages, insults and threats of violence is shocking – something I’m shouting about.

Going back to the two days of the race, as soon as the yellow flag came down, I knew how things would turn out on social media. The fact that I felt it would be best to delete Instagram and Twitter on my cell phone for a few days says it all we need to know about how inhuman the internet can be.

The ensuing hatred, abuse and threats that followed on social media were not exactly a surprise to me, as it is simply the dark reality of the world we live in right now. I’m not unfamiliar with being negatively spoken on the internet, I think every athlete on the world stage knows he is in extreme control.

But, as we have seen many times, in all sports, it only takes one incident and the wrong moment for things to get out of hand and for the worst to happen to the people who are the so-called “fans” of the sport. What shocked me was the extreme tone of hatred, abuse, and even death threats I received.

Considering what happened during the race, there was really only one group of people from whom I had to apologize for my abandonment: my group. I did it right after. Everything else that followed was out of my control.

Some people said that I was competing for a position that did not matter, as there were only a few laps left. But whether I am fighting for victories, podiums, points or even the last place, I will give everything up to the checkered flag. I’m the same as any other driver on the grid in this regard. For people who do not understand or do not agree with this, it’s okay with me. You can have your own opinion. But using these views to fuel hatred, abuse and threats of violence, not only to me but also to the people closest to me, tells me that these people are not true fans of the sport.

Fortunately, I feel comfortable enough with myself and I am in this world long enough for me to be able to do a very good job, just letting all the negativity overwhelm me. But I know I’m not the only one who thinks that a negative comment always seems to stand out more – and sometimes it can be enough to drown out a hundred positives.

People will have their opinions, and that’s okay. Having a hard skin is a huge part of being an athlete, especially when you are constantly in control. But many of the comments I received last week went too far and ended up being something more extreme. I wonder how someone else might have reacted if the same level of abuse had ever been directed against him. No one should let the activities of a minority dictate who they are.

The events of the past 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 sidelines. I realize that it is impossible to persuade those who have acted in this way against me to change their ways – and may even try to use this message against me – but it is right to invoke this kind of behavior and not remain silent.

To all the fans and people who helped me through this whole situation, I want to say a huge thank you. I have seen and read many of your messages and I appreciate them very much. It’s nice to know that I have so many people who support me.

Sport is inherently competitive – but it must bring people together, not divide them. If sharing my thoughts and emphasizing the need for action only helps one person, then it was worth it.

As we look forward to the New Year, I really hope my experiences after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix help reinforce this message and my resolution for the New Year is to look at ways in which I can support this process. Be all polite!

I want to wish everyone happy holidays, to stay safe and I look forward to all of us returning to our path in 2022 “.

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