The FIA has marked its first annual United Against Online Abuse Day on Tuesday, July 7, bringing together Formula 1 drivers and paddock figures to call for an end to online abuse.<\/p>\n
The United Against Online Abuse campaign was put in place by FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, in 2023, and has received co-funding from the European Union for its work to operate.<\/p>\n
First annual FIA United Against Online Abuse Day takes place<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n The campaign began in the aftermath of an FIA steward receiving abuse and harassment following the 2022 United States Grand Prix, with the FIA seeking to collaborate across different sports and sectors to look to tackle online abuse.<\/p>\n UAOA has since seen more than 70 members join its coalition in the hope of sport being the platform in which to bring people together online, rather than using the online sphere to seek division.<\/p>\n This first annual day carried with it the message that \u201conline abuse has no place in sport\u201d, with Ben Sulayem and the full Formula 1 grid having marked the occasion at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.<\/p>\n Ben Sulayem said: \u201cOnline abuse undermines our competitions and endangers our athletes, officials, and fans. It erodes the very spirit of sport. But together, we can change that.\u201d<\/p>\n Fernando Alonso added: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re in a different team or you support different colours, all of them deserve respect.<\/p>\n \u201cTogether, we can make the sport and the world a better place. We need to work all together on this.\u201d<\/p>\n Online abuse is not limited to drivers, with team personnel and broadcasters also subject to being abused on social media.<\/p>\n Sky F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham said: \u201cBe disruptive in this space, don\u2019t be afraid to call stuff out, like if it doesn\u2019t feel right when you read it, call it out.\u201d<\/p>\n Analysis from the British Grand Prix at Silverstone<\/p>\n British GP conclusions: Leclerc\u2019s Hamilton answer, no Russell fear, in defence of FIA<\/a><\/p>\n British GP 2026 driver ratings: Hamilton penalty, Verstappen crash, Leclerc\u2019s luck<\/a><\/p>\n McLaren CEO, Zak Brown, added: \u201cI think a great way for the fans and the community to get involved is to stand up for it as well. The more positive news we get, the more that will bury those that are spreading hate.\u201d<\/p>\n UAOA looks to deliver on its premise by conducting research which can then inform education and policy development which, in turn, will look to both limit the amount of abuse people face online, while teaching the next generation about the impacts it can have.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n