Red Bull Expresses Regret Over Remarks Following Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded widespread social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these communications constituted direct threats against the youngster's life.
The situation originated with team radio during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.
This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Observations made implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's announcement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the on-track moment.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a error. He commented he was pushing hard to catch Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and lose the position.
"It was really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Key Points from the Incident
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the wake of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that affected the title battle.
- Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
- The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.
