The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Over Remarks Following Online Abuse Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for comments made that preceded widespread social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent 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 stated that a number of these communications included 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 suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass.
This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse."
The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after reviewing video evidence of the on-track moment.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for second place 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 stated he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that led him to run wide and lose the position.
"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."
Key Points from the Incident
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
- Video replays confirm Antonelli lost control, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.