Alex Rins sent death threats after Indonesia MotoGP incident
Alex Rins says he has received death threats over social media this weekend
Yamaha MotoGP rider Alex Rins says he has received death threats from fans following an incident with a marshal at the Indonesian Grand Prix.
The Spaniard was caught on video at the end of Practice on Friday engaging in a heated exchange with some marshals.
He clarified on Saturday after the sprint that he was told by one marshal to get onto his scooter, thinking he would be taken back to the paddock, before being told this would not be the case.
Rins drew criticism for giving the marshal the middle finger, which he apologised for.
The stewards spoke with him afterwards, but were “surprised” at what had actually happened, according to Rins.
Rins received messages of “death and violence”
Rins took to Twitter on Saturday afternoon to apologise for his actions and explain what had happened.
However, he also revealed that he has received threats of violence and death.
He wrote: “I want to clarify what happened yesterday after my crash.
“There was a misunderstanding with a marshal when I was trying to get back to the box.
“It was a stressful moment, and I reacted in a way that I shouldn’t have.
“I apologise for my gesture. It wasn’t right, especially knowing that young fans are watching us. I have a lot of respect for the marshals and the work they do.
“However, I’ve also received some very serious comments, including references to death and violence.
“I understand why people are upset by my reaction, but threats and abuse should never be acceptable.
“We can all make mistakes, and I take responsibility for mine.”
Motorsport has a social media problem
MotoGP has yet to make any official comment about these abusive messages towards Rins.
But it comes just weeks after Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto’s Argentinian fanbase was at the centre of a campaign of social media abuse.
His Alpine team-mate Pierre Gasly said his family and his girlfriend received death threats following an incident at the Spanish Grand Prix.
This was then followed up by Lando Norris being abused for telling the media Colapinto didn’t deserve to be in F1 and should have been banned for a race after a collision in Azerbaijan.
And earlier in the season, Esteban Ocon was also sent threats after a collision with Colapinto in China.
Colapinto has also been a victim, following an incident with Ollie Bearman at the Japanese Grand Prix.
In MotoGP, Marc Marquez had to calm his fanbase last October after Marco Bezzecchi received a torrent of abuse for a collision that injured the world champion.
Beyond blocking accounts from following certain pages, motorsport championships have very few tools to adequately combat this. However, a concerted effort must be made globally to ensure this kind of behaviour has serious consequences.
