Red Bull Expresses Remorse Over Comments Linked to Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these communications 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 "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.
This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This increased the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Observations made suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."
The team's announcement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown footage of the on-track moment.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff added 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 "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It was really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."
Main Takeaways from the Situation
- Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that affected the championship standings.
- Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
- The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.
