Why are Formula 2 drivers getting hate?

Have you ever wondered why your favourite F2 drivers receive hate and abuse on the internet? What has caused this? What does this do to the driver's mentality? 

(Image Credit to The Irish Sun)

So, why do F2 drivers get hate? It can come down to a couple of reasons. One reason is the ripple effect of negative emotions, beliefs and loyalties from F1 spreading down the motorsport ladder. Another spark of this hate is when viewers disagree with the FIA’s decisions. Often, this creates in-the-moment anger, with people quickly taking to social media to share their opinions before reviewing other footage, considering outside impacts and professional analysis. Let's take a look at three case studies where audiences took to social media to voice their displeasure towards junior drivers.

One big moment over this Formula 2 season occurred during the Feature race at Monaco. At a circuit known for its close walls mixed with a tight championship battle for first place, a ten-car pile-up occurred at turn 1. This resulted in McLaren junior driver at the time, Alexander Dunne, receiving an uncountable amount of hate online. The crash, caused by Dunne taking a curb at speed, losing control of his car and colliding with Williams junior driver Victor Martins, blocked most of the track, causing eight cars behind the pair to pile up one after another. A large audience, many believed to be fans of Martins, took to social media to express how they felt about the situation and who to blame in a furious way, leading to Alexander Dunne deleting social media for twenty-four hours after the race.

(Image credit to @Skysports on Youtube)

Another instance occurred in Monza when Red Bull junior driver Arvid Lindblad was believed to be at fault for causing collisions with two other drivers, followed by ending his own race. These drivers, being a forementioned Alex Dunne and Invicta Racing Roman Staněk, were also forced to end their races due to the damage sustained in the collisions. Fans of the sport believed it was intentional and quickly took to social media to express their anger. The problem with this kind of reaction is that many fans overlooked what actually happened. Lindblad had radioed his team during the race to communicate that his brakes weren’t working, unaware that he no longer had a front wing which was causing a reduction in downforce and control. The team had earlier brought him in for a pitstop but chose not to replace the damaged front wing, ultimately leading to the braking issue. Despite this, the narrative told online became that ‘Arvid didn’t deserve an F1 seat,’ a conversation that still continues to this day. Currently, Arvid is in the running to get the VCARB second seat.

The final example of a driver to receive such hate from fans is Richard Verschoor. Verschoor was targeted online by having threats and hateful messages sent to him after some unfavourable performances on track. He stated that he believed some fans are following a trend where supporting one driver means hating the opponent, which is an unhealthy ideology for motorsport in general. He further stated how on-track incidents that involved him led to online hate that spiralled out of control and how he and other drivers feel restricted from addressing the haters through their social media platforms. 

The main takeaway from these incidents is that when viewers act irrationally and rapidly, hurtful comments and reputations can make their way back to the drivers. It is clear that from the outside, viewers don’t always have all the information about an incident immediately, with other drivers defending their competitors in the three instances above. These drivers didn't deserve the hate they received for things that were out of their control due to the FIA's rules and regulations. 

Article written by Alexandria Kinsella and Faith Ashington ©️ 2025 Alexandria Kinsella and Faith Ashington