Formula 1 broadcaster Will Buxton has argued that drivers who fail to publicly condemn toxic online abuse from their fanbases are "complicit" in allowing it to continue. His comments come in the wake of an incident at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix involving Lando Norris and Franco Colapinto.
The chain of events began when Colapinto locked up and triggered a multi-car crash at the safety car restart in Baku. The Alpine driver collided with his team-mate Pierre Gasly, who in turn crashed into Norris. All three drivers were out of the race. Immediately after the race, Norris claimed some drivers "shouldn't be in F1" and argued that Colapinto should be given a race ban. Although he later apologised, a wave of online abuse from Colapinto's passionate Argentine fanbase had already been unleashed.
Speaking on the Up To Speed podcast, Buxton stressed that public figures, especially athletes, have a responsibility to stop hate speech from their fans. "It is incumbent on any public figure, particularly sports people, if their fan base engages in this kind of rhetoric against other fans, against other sports players or public personalities or whatever within this social media space. I think it is absolutely incumbent on them to call it out," he said.
When it was pointed out that Colapinto had previously released a statement against abusive comments from his fan base, Buxton countered: "But not this week, and this is now a regular occurrence. So, if he's done it, has he done it strongly enough? And this isn't just a Franco Colapinto issue." He then highlighted similar patterns with Sergio Perez and his fans, and the aftermath of Abu Dhabi 2021 when Lewis Hamilton's fans were vile, and Nicholas Latifi received death threats.
Buxton emphasised that drivers must speak up: "It is incumbent on the drivers whose fan bases are making these comments to stand up, say something and say, 'You do not represent me, and I do not want you making these comments,' and if you don't, then you are complicit in it continuing. You have to take a stand. If you truly want people to believe that you want to see it end, then you have to take a stand and you have to take a position because being silent is complicity in it."
Buxton's remarks highlight a major challenge in the digital age, where the line between on-track rivalry and fan behaviour online is increasingly blurred. The Baku incident has sparked a broader discussion about ethics and social responsibility in motorsport, especially for drivers who wield enormous influence over millions of followers.
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