McLaren prodigy breaks down as he opens up on online hate he received after Monaco GP incident

McLaren protégé Alex Dunne struggled to hold back tears as he spoke about the intense online abuse he faced following his crash during the Monaco F2 feature race. The young driver revealed that he deleted his social media accounts due to the volume and severity of the messages directed at him.

The incident occurred on the opening lap of the race, when Dunne was involved in a multi-car collision at the first corner, which resulted in a red flag. The crash disrupted the race and cost him his lead in the championship standings.

Despite the setback, Dunne made a strong comeback in Spain, climbing from 19th on the grid to second place in the sprint race and reclaiming his lead in the championship. However, the emotional toll of the backlash was still evident.

During the post-race interview, he became visibly emotional, and the interviewer had to move on to the next question. Asked about the backlash he was subjected to after the crash, the McLaren prodigy said:

“I got a lot of stuff after Monaco. Normally, I'm not someone who reads things and gets annoyed about it. But I think an hour after the race, I just deleted all of social media from my phone because I think I've never received such bad messages in my life. I think a lot of the stuff I got was really, really bad and quite upsetting, to be honest. But no, I think... sorry.”

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McLaren team principal supports Alex Dunne after Monaco GP backlash

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has strongly condemned the online abuse targeted at F2 driver Alex Dunne following his crash in the Monaco feature race. Speaking after Dunne’s emotional return to the podium in Spain, Stella described the current online environment as a “difficult place” where individuals are often subjected to vicious personal attacks.

Stella expressed deep empathy for the young Irish driver and reaffirmed McLaren’s full support, commending Dunne for the sincerity of his reaction. He praised the 18-year-old’s openness in expressing his emotions and called it a sign of strength, not weakness. The Italian also urged the media to act responsibly when reporting on contentious incidents, stressing the importance of restraint to avoid fueling public vitriol.

Reflecting on the crash in Monaco, Stella noted that the circuit is uniquely unforgiving and that first-lap incidents are often unavoidable. He emphasized that such moments are part of the learning curve for young drivers navigating the pressures of elite motorsport.

McLaren team principal revealed that the team sat down with Dunne after Monaco to offer their personal reassurance. He compared the incident to challenges faced by past champions early in their careers, reinforcing that Dunne’s situation was not uncommon. He further suggested that the Irishman’s impressive charge from 19th to second in the Spanish sprint race was fueled by his desire to rise above the negativity, calling the performance a clear statement of character and resilience.

Addressing the hatred Dunne received online after the Monaco incident, McLaren's Stella said:

“I think we need to realise that we live in a difficult world in which people can attack other people with no foundation, sometimes no competence. So we are completely behind Alex, not only on track, but also off track from this point of view. I just felt a little bit for him, but I also felt very proud of him in showing his reaction, being genuine, natural. But we need to think all, and I think for me even a call to our sense of responsibility overall, even you guys that have the pen.”

“I think we need to make sure that in anything we do, we try to avoid a situation that can be too controversial. I'm not referring to the situation with Alex. I don't know what was written in the media. I know what was written in the comments. Just a sense of responsibility is the main call I would like to make.”

Speaking of the crash in Monaco, Stella said:

“The situation he had in Monaco is one of those situations where you can learn a lot. If you think about multiple world champions, they went through situations which were very important in order to fine-tune the way they go racing. We had actually a good conversation with Alex to reaffirm the complete support to his talent, to his speed, to the championship that he's fighting for. And we always see a very mature person.”

Commenting on Dunne’s Spanish F2 sprint result, the McLaren team principal said:

“It was an immediate response to the situation he had in Monaco. The pressure that came from these social media comments, for me that's something that makes me very proud of him. I think he was genuine.”

Following the emotional revelations by McLaren protégé Alex Dunne after facing intense online hatred post-Monaco, the Imola GP weekend saw two more high-profile cases. Yuki Tsunoda became the target of abuse from fans of rookie driver Franco Colapinto. Tsunoda was blocked by Colapinto in free practice, triggering frustration that spilled over the radio. Liam Lawson received similar hatred earlier in the year when he replaced an outgoing Sergio Perez.

The rise of online abuse in motorsport continues to be a growing concern in both Formula 1 and its junior categories. Despite ongoing campaigns by the FIA and Formula 1 to combat toxic behavior online, 2025 has seen a noticeable increase in incidents targeting drivers, teams, stewards, and officials.