The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Over Remarks Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for comments made that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these communications constituted direct threats against the driver's life.
The controversy stems from radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.
This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made implying that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."
The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff 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 fighting for second place in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"
Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He said he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Main Takeaways from the Situation
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
- Video evidence show Antonelli lost control, contradicting the suggestion of deliberate action.
- The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes management.
