FIA chief backs Prost after online abuse as he vows action

After it was revealed that four-time Formula 1 champion Alain Prost has been receiving online hate messages regarding his intense rivalry with Ayrton Senna, FIA President Mohamed Ben Sulayem has spoken out, promising action.

The Frenchman's rivalry with the three-time champion was a defining era of F1. But now, over 30 years after retiring as a racing driver, he wants to move on from that part of his career. 

Prost and Senna's feud was certainly legendary, reaching its peak during the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. With Senna needing to win this penultimate race and the final race in Australia, the two cars came together only seven laps from the end of the race. Senna's car was pushed back onto the track but was later disqualified. This gave Prost the championship, but many expected he'd artificially caused the clash.

Decades later, Prost is still being forced to relive these years as he receives message after message on this subject. 

“I can’t not think about Ayrton, fortunately or unfortunately,” he said. “For example, I’m considering turning off my Instagram, because I get messages every day, really every day without exception – from time to time there’s a hateful one, that can happen.”

Despite his multiple titles and battles with some of the sport's greatest drivers, the Frenchman has admitted that his legacy is still tied to Senna's. 

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President, FIA

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

"My biggest fan base on social media is from Brazil, of all places, so I'm forced to think of him. Indirectly, I've been living around this story for 30 years, and it will probably stay that way for the rest of my life."

Following this, Sulayem posted to his Instagram story a statement supporting the former driver. 

"I stand with former World Champion Alain Prost and was saddened to hear about the abuse he has faced on social media,” the statement read. "I founded the United Against Online Abuse campaign to drive awareness and action, to combat this growing threat to our community, and to engage directly with social platforms to target the issue at its source," he added.

"This coalition relies on the sporting community coming together, and we must continue to unite in this fight."

The UAOA was founded in 2022 by the FIA chief. It aims to create a safer online environment for athletes, officials, fans, and journalists by combining sporting bodies, regulatory institutions, and technology platforms to tackle online abuse.