Oliver Bearman has condemned the net abuse obtained by fellow rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli following the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix. Branding those that despatched abuse to the Mercedes driver as “scum of the earth”, he provides yet one more voice to these in assist of the Italian.
Antonelli was subjected to a wave of social media abuse and hate following the Losail race, the place a mistake allowed Lando Norris to overhaul. This second grew to become the main focus of intense criticism from followers of the championship, who wrongly noticed this as a purposeful transfer to permit the title contender previous.
Bearman, like many drivers, has seen related abuse on-line.
“I did not face that degree of criticism, however that comes as a part of being in a workforce like Haas somewhat than Mercedes. So, you understand, there’s additionally a good thing about beginning your profession in a workforce like Haas. You are a bit much less within the limelight,” he defined. “You’ve got the chance to make errors and be much less criticised for these.”
He did not maintain again in his evaluation of these concerned.
“I feel typically it is at all times the case that folks behind the display screen are horrible and so they’re scum of the earth, actually. I do not assume they need to be doing that kind of stuff to somebody,” he mentioned, earlier than including that this degree of abuse might be particularly troublesome for rookies to digest.
“I perceive that individuals who’ve been in F1 for a really very long time can get used to it and people who find themselves rookies, it could be their first expertise having that kind of criticism, however that criticism is an absolute joke. It should not be tolerated and I do know the FIA are doing the whole lot they’ll to cease that, however the issue is these unhappy folks giving these kinds of criticisms. It is a joke.
Lando Norris, McLaren, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photograph by: Zak Mauger / LAT Pictures through Getty Pictures
“We’re placing our lives on the road to entertain folks and to provide the people who find themselves passionate for the game an excellent time and you’ve got folks like that who’re simply hurting folks and that is not simply racing, that is additionally their private life and I simply assume persons are horrible. The actual folks of the world are horrible.”
Within the wake of this abuse, the FIA launched a press release of assist for the Mercedes driver whereas Pink Bull’s Helmut Marko apologised for blaming the driving force for letting Norris cross purposefully.
“I took one other shut have a look at the footage,” he instructed F1-Insider. “The primary time, Antonelli may have held his floor a little bit higher [as Oscar Piastri passed him into Turn 1]. The second time, it was a driving error and never intentional. I am sorry that Antonelli obtained a lot flak on-line. To make clear as soon as once more: he did not let Norris cross on function.”
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