Social media can be a very toxic place for athletes, who unfortunately find their comments sections filled with trolls and hurtful comments, hidden behind fake profiles.
While Max Verstappen prefers to keep a low profile and restrict his presence on social media as much as someone of his fame and stature is allowed to, his girlfriend Kelly Piquet is much more active online.
Verstappen started dating the daughter of F1 legend Nelson Piquet at the end of 2020 after her relationship with former Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat ended, a relationship which brought Kelly Piquet and Kvyat a daughter.
The Brazilian is a model and a blogger, meaning that she understandably has a strong presence on social media and thrives in the online space.
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Verstappen, who has recently claimed his second consecutive world championship, has claimed that he dislikes posting on social media and has admitted that his girlfriend is following him in posting less, as he believes that he deserves to live a more private life.
“I just don’t have that need to show my private life to the outside world,” Verstappen told Dutch newspaper De Limburger.
“Kelly is also doing it much less than she used to. If I’m ever done with Formula 1, I don’t see myself posting very much after that. I just don’t like it.”
Some Formula 1 drivers thrive on social media, with the likes of Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly using platforms to either show their millions of followers what they are up to away from the racetrack or to promote their ventures away from F1.
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Lewis Hamilton has admitted that social media is a toxic place and that he never checks his comments, however he does continue to post on a regular basis as he is aware of the influence he can have because of his following.
The 38-year-old is constantly sharing posts to raise awareness for worthy causes but has pleaded for help in recent weeks, suggesting that he alone cannot make a big impact.
Hamilton’s former teammate Nico Rosberg has urged the other 19 drivers to follow Hamilton’s example and use their huge followings for good, as there are many positive messages that could be spread by the drivers to the millions of fans who watch their every move online.