The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Over Remarks Following Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by widespread online abuse, including death 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 reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these messages included 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 "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris through.
This incident proved significant for the title fight, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made implying that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."
The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for second place in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"
Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to close on the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and lose the position.
"It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Key Points from the Incident
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
- Video evidence show Antonelli lost control, contradicting the suggestion of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.
