The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Regarding Comments Following Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly switched his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these messages constituted threats against the youngster's life.
The situation stems from radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.
This incident proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Observations made implying that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to such abuse."
The team's announcement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after reviewing video evidence of the on-track moment.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to catch Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Key Points from the Situation
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
- Video evidence confirm Antonelli lost control, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.
