The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Regarding Remarks Linked to Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by widespread online abuse, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these communications included threats against the youngster's life.
The situation stems from radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.
This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Observations voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past 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 led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown footage of the incident.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 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 had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a error. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It was really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."
Main Takeaways from the Incident
- Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
- Video evidence confirm Antonelli lost control, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
- The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.
