Williams driver Nicholas Latifi announced on Tuesday that he had received passed away threats after his after crash at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, determining a disputed end to Formula One racing.
The Canadian’s crash with five laps remaining brought the safety car out and helped Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton for the title.
Latifi, 26, concluded the mis-word challenge he received on social media.
“What chose me was the extreme tone of the hatred, mis-word and even passed away threats I received,” he said in a lengthy statement.
Mercedes’ Hamilton had a lead of almost 12 seconds with Red Bulls Verstappen in second place when dropping a product the yellow flag.
Verstappen put on fresh tyres, while Hamilton stayed on the track. The race director initially said the riders interviewed could not pass the safety car, then reversed the call in a decision that moved Verstappen back into second place as the race continued with one lap remaining.
Verstappen then passed Hamilton to retake his first world championship; Hamilton was denied a record title and remained partnered by Michael Schumacher.
Mercedes immediately opposited, but withdrew its appeal last week.
Latifi had also apologized for playing such an important role in December. 12 course, however, said Tuesday that he will always be strong up to the checkered flag no matter what Position he finds himself in.
“For people who don’t understand or don’t agree, it’s good for me. You can have your opinion. But using these opinions to attract hatred, mis-word and threats of roughness, not only to me, but also to those closest to me, tells me that these people are not true Fans of the sport,” he wrote.
