The president of the FIA Mohammed Ben Sulayem has condemned death threats made against a Formula One race steward and warned that the toxic abuse directed at FIA staff and volunteers threatens to “destroy” the sport.
As F1 reels under an onslaught of often poisonous online abuse between fans of different drivers, Ben Sulayem revealed that the FIA steward Silvia Bellot had recently received death threats. He also noted that other FIA staff had been “targeted” with harassment and hate posts, which he insisted was unacceptable.
F1 management has been working with the teams to combat online abuse. They are also expected shortly to announce a comprehensive programme of measures to tackle harassment and threatening behavior at race meetings.
