Ocon Faces Online Abuse After Racing Incident

0:00On March 26, Esteban Okon faced a wave of online abuse after colliding with Franco Colapinto during the Chinese Grand Prix. The Haas driver attempted an inside move on Colapinto right after his pit stop on Lab32, sending both cars spinning at turn one. Stewart's hit Okon with a 10 second penalty and he owned up to the mistake. Colapinto declined as high as second early in the race thanks to a safety car and he recovered to finish 10th despite the crash. That result caused him a shot at a higher position, but he and Okon talked it out afterward, with no hard feelings on either side. Fans unleashed death threats and harsh messages on Okon's social media, prompting a journalist to warn him to close his direct messages. Colapinto's team even urged supporters to stay positive and respectful, but the backlash rolled in anyway. Okon dismissed it as keyboard warriors hiding behind screens. This isn't isolated in Formula One. Last year, young Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli shut down his accounts after false accusations

1:04and similar abuse and Qatar. Okon received a supportive letter from FIA President Mohammed Ben Suleyem, a key figure in fighting online hate. Ben Suleyem launched the United Against Online Abuse campaign in 2023 after a steward-faced trolls. Okon hopes for stricter consequences ahead, as this toxicity has no place in racing and could lead to real changes soon. I'm Corey with The Story, that's your F1 News today update AI-powered and always on.