Latifi was subject to a flurry of hate messages and death threats on social media after his crash the final race of 2021.
Follow Us
After receiving death threats over the winter, Williams driver Nicholas Latifi believes F1 can push issues like cyberbullying and mental health “a little bit more.” After triggering the safety car period that allowed Max Verstappen to make his move on Lewis Hamilton for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix victory and a maiden championship title, Latifi was targeted by online trolls.
“I think this is an issue irrespective… outside of drivers, in any sport, it is going to be there, not even in sports but in the entertainments and arts industry,” the Canadian driver said. “I definitely think there is a lot everyone can do on that front. Personally, since being back from my holidays, I have been looking at ways to try and do a bit more research – not so specific on the mental health aspect, obviously, mental health is the overriding theme.”
Read More – Williams reveal 2022 F1 challlenger, FW44
“But specifically more along the lines of what I endured which is the cyberbullying, online abuse which I guess is one of the more new-generation common contributors towards mental health issues, especially for younger people and teens.”
“So I have been looking at ways to get involved, looking at different organisations and whatnot and there will be some things throughout the year I will be doing, nothing to say or announce just yet, but it is a very serious topic, especially now more than ever. Maybe in previous years it was a topic people didn’t want to speak about but it is one of the most important things in modern times so I think it is important to be open to talking about certain things.”
Read More – Ross Brawn expects new F1 regulations to ‘bring teams closer’ on track
“I know Lando is one of the outspoken drivers about it and I think everyone, drivers, teams, the organisation as a whole, it is something that can definitely be pushed a little bit more,” Latifi concluded.
For the 2022 season, Latifi will join the Williams team alongside British-Thai driver Alex Albon. Albon replaces George Russell, who left the team for a multi-year deal with Mercedes. Both Albon and Latifi will be scrutinised closely. After a year away from the sport and a forgettable stint with Red Bull, the former will be under pressure to relaunch his career. The challenge for Latifi now is to make the team his own after Russell’s departure. On and off the track, the young Brit was a colossal presence who frequently overshadowed the Canadian.
