Red Bull's Calum Nicholas Forced to Confirm 'I'm Very Much Still Alive'

Red Bull ambassador and former senior engine technician Calum Nicholas was forced to confirm he is "very much still alive" after a vicious rumor spread on Facebook claiming he had died. Nicholas addressed the bizarre situation with humor, but the incident highlights a darker trend of misinformation and toxicity within the F1 community that extends far beyond a single social media post.

Why it matters:

While Nicholas's case was an oddity, it's a symptom of a much larger and more serious problem plaguing Formula 1: the rapid spread of false information and severe online abuse directed at individuals within the sport. The line between passionate critique and harmful harassment has become dangerously thin, affecting everyone from top drivers to respected behind-the-scenes personnel.

The details:

• Nicholas, who spent a decade as a senior engine technician before becoming an ambassador, took to social media to quash the rumor. He quipped that the news of his survival would be "to the disappointment of many."
• This minor incident follows a much more severe case of online abuse involving Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli at the end of the 2025 season.
  • Antonelli's late-race error in Qatar allowed Lando Norris to gain two crucial points, which proved decisive in his championship win over Max Verstappen.
  • The mistake sparked baseless conspiracy theories from Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko and subjected the young driver to death threats.
  • The abuse was widely condemned by fellow drivers, including Oliver Bearman, who called online trolls "the scum of the earth."

The big picture:

The F1 community is increasingly forced to confront the toxic underbelly of social media. The Antonelli saga and Nicholas's strange ordeal are two sides of the same coin, demonstrating how quickly false narratives can form and lead to real-world harm. As the sport's online presence grows, so does the challenge of managing its darker elements, putting pressure on teams, the FIA, and platforms themselves to take stronger action against abuse.