FIA Warns Abusive Fans and Media Could Be Banned From Formula 1

Formula 1's governing body has warned that fans and even members of the media could be banned from events for serious online abuse, as FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the scale of threats aimed at drivers and officials has become impossible to ignore. Speaking to The Drive, Ben Sulayem revealed that Alpine driver Pierre Gasly had received 13,000 death threats, abuse that followed the recent controversy involving Gasly and teammate Franco Colapinto, whose Argentine fanbase has again come under scrutiny for targeting drivers online. "If the hate comes from someone who is a spectator, we ban them," Ben Sulayem said. "If they are part of the media, we ban them because we have the authority. And if they are hiding on the internet, AI will expose them." He also backed Alpine boss Flavio Briatore's threat to put Colapinto under a media blackout if abuse from his supporters continued, and urged drivers themselves to tell abusive followers to stop. The warning comes ahead of this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix, with the FIA also announcing that artificial intelligence will play a growing role in shaping future regulations.