The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Over Comments Following Online Abuse Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that several of these communications included direct threats against the driver's life.
The situation stems from radio communications during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.
This occurrence proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Observations voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the incident.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.
For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to catch Carlos Sainz and experienced a "massive moment" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "A shame 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 received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
- Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
- The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes management.
