The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Over Remarks Following Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly switched his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these communications included 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 suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let rival driver Lando Norris through.
This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as the overtake 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 clarified: "Comments voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the incident.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for second place 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 stated he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the race.
For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to close on the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and lose the position.
"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Key Points from the Incident
- 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 centered on an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
- Video replays show Antonelli lost control, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
- The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.
