Red Bull Voices Regret Over Remarks Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for comments made that were followed by widespread online abuse, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have switched his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these messages constituted direct threats against the driver's life.
The situation originated with radio communications during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass.
This occurrence proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake secured 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 statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."
The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after reviewing footage of the incident.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. The team reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He commented he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and lose the position.
"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 Incident
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
- The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
- Video evidence show Antonelli lost control, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
- The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.
