Liam Lawson confesses he wasn’t ready to face online abuse from fans

Liam Lawson opened up over his mental state after receiving abusive comments on social media earlier this year.

Liam Lawson confesses he wasn’t ready to face online abuse from fans

Liam Lawson (via Planetf1)

Liam Lawson has been in and around the F1 paddock for the past couple of years. The Kiwi driver will finally compete in a full season next year, alongside Max Verstappen as teammate. The 22-year-old has now opened up about abuse he has faced on social media.

Lawson became a target of abuse online earlier this year, when he replaced Daniel Ricciardo at RB following the Singapore GP. Ricciardo’s fans were infuriated to see Red Bull swap out the Australian and in-turn wrote hate comments towards Liam Lawson.

YouTube video

The 22-year-old admitted that when he witnessed abuse from fans, he was not in a position to accept it. Now, Lawson revealed that he simply doesn’t use social media to that extent. The Red Bull driver just goes to post a picture or two without looking at any messages.

FS Video

Originally I saw a lot of [the abuse] because I didn’t expect it, I wasn’t ready for that. To be honest, I just don’t really go on social media at all any more. I will post for my fanbase, but I won’t scroll or look through messages.

Liam Lawson told The Times

Liam Lawson asserts ‘no prep’ for online abuse as F1 driver

Being an F1 driver is undoubtedly one of the hardest jobs in the sporting world. Drivers need to stay fit throughout the year to withstand the immense G-forces of the cars. However, Liam Lawson highlighted that there was no real preparation he could do to face abuse online. As one only focuses on their driving.

Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson (via Total Motorsport)
Sergio Perez and Liam Lawson (via Total Motorsport)

You do the prep for F1 to be ready as a driver, and then you don’t really expect that kind of stuff, or you don’t really prepare for it, because you’re just focused on driving.

Liam Lawson added

Liam Lawson recognizes the situation over fans on social media. The Kiwi driver will slowly understand how to not get impacted by haters online. Perhaps, Lawson can take a few tips from Max Verstappen in dealing with such a situation.