Lewis Hamilton has been the latest target of racist abuse on social media after his victory at Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
Hamilton had received a 10-second penalty after a collision with Max Verstappen, his title rival during the first lap of the race, which led to the Dutchman crashing out.
Mercedes, F1 and governing body the FIA condemned the abuse “in the strongest possible terms”.
“These people have no place in our sport,” read a joint statement.
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“We urge that those responsible should be held accountable for their actions.
“Formula One, the FIA, the drivers and the teams are working to build a more diverse and inclusive sport, and such unacceptable instances of online abuse must be highlighted and eliminated.”
Facebook, which owns Instagram, said in a statement: “The racist abuse directed at Hamilton during and after the British Grand Prix is unacceptable and we’ve removed a number of comments from Instagram.
“In addition to our work to remove comments and accounts that repeatedly break our rules, there are safety features available, including comment filters and message controls, which can mean no one has to see this type of abuse.
“No single thing will fix this challenge overnight but we’re committed to the work to keep our community safe from abuse.”
Verstappen was taken to the hospital for precautionary checks after suffering an impact of 51G in the crash but was later released without any major injuries.
Hamilton’s 10-second penalty saw him drop to fourth place after his pit stop, but the seven-time world champion fought back to overtake Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with two laps remaining to secure victory.
Verstappen later called Hamilton”disrespectful” and “unsportsmanlike” for celebrating the win while the Dutchman lay in hospital.
