Lewis Hamilton: F1’s Growth Fuels Online Abuse Issues

• Lewis Hamilton says rising popularity has made F1 “more intense”
• Drivers including Doohan, Tsunoda, and Colapinto targeted by online hate
• Hamilton praises young drivers for handling rising external pressures

Lewis Hamilton has spoken about the growing issue of online abuse in Formula 1, saying the sport’s increased popularity has brought added intensity and new challenges for today’s drivers.

Several drivers — including Jack Doohan, Yuki Tsunoda, and Formula 2’s Alex Dunne — have been subjected to abuse online in 2025. Speaking on the topic, Hamilton pointed to how much the environment has changed since his own F1 debut.

“The times have changed,” said the Ferrari driver. “I would say the racing space has probably got a lot busier with the fame of the sport, so it’s probably more intense. Maybe the media is more reactive, maybe.

“You’ve got social media presence and online abuse that we didn’t have when I got into the sport.

“It’s been pretty amazing to see how mature the young drivers that have come in – young men that have come in – have adapted and how they’ve carried that weight, because it’s no easy situation to be thrown into.

“When I got there, it felt like being thrown into the deep end without having the skills to keep yourself afloat.

“But there wasn’t the online stuff that you could see, and that’s significant.

“There are probably even more demands on the drivers today, outside of the car, than ever before.”

The issue gained further attention when Doohan was dropped by Alpine for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and replaced by Franco Colapinto, who crashed out in qualifying. A manipulated screenshot of a message from Doohan’s father, Mick Doohan, circulated online, showing Colapinto crashing with the caption “Very impressive” and laughing emojis.

Doohan responded on social media, writing: “Please stop harassing my family. I didn’t think it would have to get to this point.”

Tsunoda, who had an incident with Colapinto during a practice session, also received abuse online. “It’s good that they have energy, but just control it, and I feel like they can use the energy in the right way and in a much better way,” he said. “If it still continues and it’s getting worse and worse, for sure, at some point F1 should say something.”

Colapinto called for calm among his supporters: “There is a lot of hate on social media, and that’s what I would think. So, of course, we always try and want – for all the drivers – to keep it respectful and keep it calm there.”

Hamilton’s comments reflect a growing concern in Formula 1 as the sport deals with its expanding global following and the more toxic elements of online fan culture.