Hadjar most praised F1 driver on X, Stroll most insulted
F1 Drivers NewsFriday, 26 September 2025 at 16:11
Isack Hadjar is the most praised Formula 1 driver on X, while Lance Stroll is the most insulted on the social media platform, so far in 2025.
That is according to new research by Canada Sports Betting, which analysed nearly 100,000 posts on X (formerly Twitter) to measure fan sentiment towards every Formula 1 driver on the grid.
The study tracked positivity, negativity and the frequency of direct insults, producing a spectrum of online reputations that highlight how differently each driver is perceived.
Hadjar topped the list with 37.92 percent of all comments about him marked positive. It means the Racing Bulls rookie is currently the most admired driver online, despite competing in the lower half of the midfield.
Verstappen and Hamilton praiseworthy
Max Verstappen followed on 35.28 percent, showing that the reigning World Champion retains widespread popularity even in the middle of a tense title battle. Oscar Piastri ranked third on 34.50 percent, with Lewis Hamilton close behind on 34.20 percent as he navigates his first season with Ferrari.
At the other end of the scale, Franco Colapinto scored just 10 percent positive comments, the lowest rating of any driver. That places the Williams rookie as the least praised driver on the grid in 2025.
On the negative side, the study introduced an “Insult Score” that combines the percentage of negative and insulting comments into a single measure out of 100. Stroll ranked highest with an Insult Score of 95, driven by 29.82 percent negative comments and 11.12 percent containing direct insults.
Behind him, Lando Norris recorded an Insult Score of 68.93, with 24.54 percent negative and 8.60 percent insulting posts. Liam Lawson also featured among the most insulted, despite his popularity as a promising Red Bull-backed talent.
By contrast, Verstappen and Colapinto both recorded some of the lowest insult scores on the grid, indicating that their online criticism is relatively muted compared to others.
The Most Praised Formula 1 Drivers
The language of abuse
The study also examined the words used most often in abusive posts. For Stroll, the F-word accounted for nearly 72 percent of all insults directed at him.
Gabriel Bortoleto’s mentions were dominated by “sh!t,” which made up half of all insults. Colapinto was most often hit with “bullsh!t,” at 20 percent, while Yuki Tsunoda’s top insult word was “sh!t,” used in 27 percent of cases.
The language shows that not only the volume but also the tone of criticism varies across the grid.
The analysis highlights the extremes of how Formula 1 fans interact online. Some drivers, such as Hadjar, Verstappen and Piastri, attract high levels of admiration, while others, like Stroll and Norris, face consistent criticism. Almost all, however, are subject to a blend of both.
The findings underline the intensity of fan engagement in Formula 1, where drivers are scrutinised just as much off track as they are during a Grand Prix weekend.
The Most Insulted Formula 1 Drivers
Methodology Used By Canada Sports Betting
To uncover the most insulted Formula 1 drivers, we analyzed the latest comments from this year on X (formerly Twitter) mentioning every driver on the grid. All comments studied included the driver’s name to ensure relevance.
- Data Collection: We used the Twitter API to gather up to 5,000 tweets per driver.
Filtering: Removed irrelevant or duplicate tweets and stripped out links, mentions, emojis, and other noise. - Sentiment Analysis: Applied VADER sentiment analysis to classify comments as positive, neutral, or negative.
- Insult Detection: Used a custom-built lexicon of insults and offensive terms to flag abusive content.
Metrics: For each driver, we calculated:
- % of negative comments
- % of insulting comments
- % of positive comments
- Most used insult word
- An Insult Score (0–100) for comparability
The full dataset and methodology can be viewed at here>>>
United Against Online Abuse
Sports deliver entertainment, excitement and participation opportunities worldwide, showcasing human innovation and achievement at the highest level.
Yet the rise of online abuse increasingly threatens this environment, undermining sport’s values, limiting inclusion and representation, and inflicting harm on athletes, officials, volunteers, fans and communities.
The problem is not confined to elite competitors. From players and referees to support staff and supporters, online abuse now impacts every corner of the sporting ecosystem. Its growing scale risks eroding trust, damaging reputations and diminishing the joy that sport is meant to inspire.
Established by the FIA in 2023 and funded by the FIA Foundation, the United Against Online Abuse (UAOA) campaign was established to confront the issue head-on.
Working with sporting bodies worldwide, alongside governments, academics, regulators, social media companies and technology platforms, UAOA’s mission is to deliver research-based, evidence-driven insights into the scale of the problem and to develop practical solutions.
By coordinating expertise across sectors, the initiative aims to safeguard the values of fairness, inclusivity and respect that define sport, while protecting those who make it possible both on and off the field.
Latest News
Loading
