Esteban Ocon seeks significant repercussions following death threats received after the Franco Colapinto incident.
Haas driver Esteban Ocon is advocating for “significant consequences” for the individuals who directed death threats at him following his incident with Franco Colapinto during the Chinese Grand Prix.
Ocon accepted responsibility for the collision with the Argentine racer, who still managed to secure a top 10 finish.
Additionally, Ocon received a penalty for the incident, which he acknowledged as justified.
In the wake of the event, the French driver faced a barrage of online abuse and death threats, which he noted led to a supportive letter from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“Clearly, there has been a lot happening; to be honest, I didn’t focus too much on it, but I noticed the online activity,” Ocon stated on Thursday.
“What mattered most to me was to communicate directly with Franco to express my thoughts and apologize for the incident, as it was my error. We had a constructive conversation, and everything is fine between us, and I’m pleased he had a good race and was able to earn points, which is positive.
“However, any form of online abuse that we encountered should not be tolerated whatsoever and must have serious repercussions; it has no place in sports or our sport in particular. But you know how keyboard warriors are, so I believe this will become more significant in the future, and there will likely be more repercussions for these individuals.
He then added: “The FIA president sent me a letter afterward, so there has been some discussion.”
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Ben Sulayem initiated United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) after an FIA official received death threats following the 2022 U.S. Grand Prix.
UAOA aims to “bring together the sporting, political, and regulatory sectors to combat the increasing levels of online abuse and hate speech affecting various sports globally.”
Ocon’s team principal Aayo Komatsu commended his driver for promptly acknowledging his mistake regarding the initial incident.
“I believe Esteban immediately recognized that it was his error, which I think is very commendable,” Komatsu remarked. “He admitted it right away in the car, shortly after the race, and he spoke with Franco. From our perspective, Esteban was completely correct. That’s the behavior I expect from our drivers. I am genuinely proud of Esteban and how he has conducted himself.”
Source: espn.com
