Mercedes Benz driver Lewis Hamilton has been the subject to online racial abuse following his second penalty he received after a collision with title rival Max Verstappen during the first lap of the race, which led to the Dutchman crashing out.
Mercedes, F1 and governing body the FIA condemned the abuse “in the strongest possible terms”. “These people have no place in our sport,” read a joint statement. “We urge that those responsible should be held accountable for their actions.
“Formula One, the FIA, the drivers and the teams are working to build a more diverse and inclusive sport, and such unacceptable instances of online abuse must be highlighted and eliminated.”
Mercedes team principal Toto has said that, “We have seen it in the football in the European Championship and the abuse that is absolutely not acceptable, and the same yesterday, and I still question whether some just don’t get it.”
“While we may be fierce rivals on-track, we are all united against racism,” Red Bull team said in a statement. “We condemn racist abuse of any kind towards our team, our competitors and our fans.”
