Red Bull Voices Regret Over Remarks Following Online Abuse Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that several of these communications constituted threats against the driver's life.
The controversy stems from team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.
This occurrence proved significant for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him extra points. This increased the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the on-track moment.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a error. He said he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that led him to run wide and lose the position.
"It was really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Main Takeaways from the Situation
- Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
- Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.
