Ralf Schumacher calls for ‘legal action’ over ‘shameful’ F1 driver death threats
Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa
Ralf Schumacher, the former Williams and Toyota F1 driver, believes fans found to be sending death threats to Formula 1 drivers should face legal action.
It comes after Haas driver Esteban Ocon was subjected to online abuse following his collision with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto at the recent Chinese Grand Prix.
Ralf Schumacher: F1 driver death threats ‘very sad and shameful’
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Colapinto scored his first points since his return to F1 with Alpine in Shanghai earlier this month, finishing an impressive 10th place.
It came after the Argentine suffered a brief scare when he was spun by Ocon at Turn 2.
Ocon took responsibility for the contact, approaching Colapinto after the race to apologise personally to the Alpine driver.
Colapinto’s management, Bullet Sports Management, pleaded with the driver’s fans to stop sending abusive messages to Ocon, his family and the Haas team shortly after the Japanese Grand Prix.
A post to social media read: “Public Service Announcement: Please do not send hate or death threats to Esteban, his family or the Haas F1 team.
“It won’t undo the crash and only reflects poorly on Franco’s fandom. Thank you for keeping the support positive and respectful!”
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Schumacher, who claimed six F1 victories in 180 starts between 1997 and 2007, has called for fans sending death threats to F1 drivers to face the full force of the law.
Appearing on the Backstage Pit Lane podcast, he said: “I think it’s actually very sad and shameful.
“I can’t say anything at all about it. I did always associate Argentina with emotion.
“Personally, I only knew Norberto Fontana [Argentine driver who made four F1 starts for Sauber in 1997]. He was the only one I used to hang out with more often. Some may remember him.
“I always saw them as incredibly sympathetic family. When I was in Argentina at the time for Formula 1, I didn’t experience that at all to that extreme.
“But around Colapinto, at least on the internet, it doesn’t matter who stands in the way or is critical of him in any way, because they are insulted or threatened in the most terrible ways.
“I don’t care that much, it all passes me by. But I do have to say honestly that it’s a shame and also doesn’t really belong in this sport.
“Maybe people should take a look at that. I also hope they will. Maybe they should also look into taking legal action against types like that.
“This just can’t be done. Violence, or incitement to violence via the internet, I don’t think there is room for that anywhere in the world.
“I think in soccer you also have similar cases, especially in Germany. But maybe not as bad, I don’t know.
“It just doesn’t belong in Formula 1, but those are the downsides of the Netflix stories. I think Formula 1 just used to be much more nuanced and more for the pure motorsports fan.
“Netflix has brought a lot more breadth, at least in terms of fans. Now it goes from young to old and in all kinds of directions.
“I think it becomes clear then that things do go wrong at times, with so many characters colliding.”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been a passionate campaigner against online abuse since he was first elected in 2021, launching the governing body’s United Against Online Abuse campaign.
In a short statement, the United Against Online Abuse campaign said: “We are deeply concerned by the death threats targeting Esteban Ocon and have reached out to the involved teams.
“Disrespect, harassment and hate have no place in sport and we urge fans to treat everyone with respect.
“Through the FIA’s United Against Online Abuse initiative, we will continue strengthening the safeguards and partnerships needed to protect competitors and the wider motor sport community.”
The abuse of Ocon comes after Colapinto’s predecessor at Alpine, Jack Doohan, revealed that he was the target of death threats around the time he was replaced by Colapinto last May.
Appearing in the latest series of Drive to Survive, the hit Netflix docuseries, Doohan said at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix: “I got serious death threats for this grand prix, saying they’re going to kill me here if I’m not out of the car.
“I had six or seven emails saying if I am still in the car by Miami, all my limbs will be cut off.
“Wednesday, I was there with my f**king girlfriend and my trainer and I’ve got three armed men around me – I had to call my police escort to come and get it under control.”
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