Sainz issues media plea to combat online toxicity

Carlos Sainz has called on established media to help curb the toxic proliferation and factionalism of online F1 spaces.

The Spaniard implored credentialed publications to assist in better informing fans, in a bid to reduce polarisation and remedy division within F1 social media communities.

After clashing with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc on track during the Las Vegas Grand Prix – something which led to the Monegasque driver’s expletive-ridden radio rant post-chequered flag – it was put to the 30-year-old that it had triggered a fresh wave of online hostility.

Sainz used the opportunity to deliver his impassioned plea, urging the F1 paddock media to uphold its “responsibility” to inform and educate fans of the championship.

“Social media is a very toxic place,” the four-time grand prix winner told media including RacingNews365. “It’s always been a toxic place.

“From here, I ask the media – not the social media – to have a responsibility on the way you inform and write articles, and you inform those less-educated or less-understanding fans that are maybe a bit more biased to one side or the other, to make sure we can also help them understand how this sport works because it is a place that is becoming ever more toxic.”

Clickbait-caused toxicity

Sainz argued that some of the ways in which F1 is reported on feeds “misunderstandings and miscommunication”, through clickbait.

In doing so, the soon-to-be Williams driver drew links between the standard of coverage and how that translates into negative online interactions between fans, underlining a belief that there is causation, and not merely correlation, between the two issues. 

“I also believe there is a certain place on the media side… I’m not talking about any of you here again, but the way you [some areas of the media] can inform can also create clickbait, which then can bring misunderstandings and miscommunication, and can make people even more biased or even more toxic,” he explained.

“One hundred per cent it’s not a healthy place in the world right now, and I’m not a big fan of it, but let’s try, between all of us, to control or all help these people that are at home and are feeling frustrated about one or the other not to take too many lighthearted [sic] conclusions about one another.”