The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Regarding Remarks Following Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these communications constituted threats against the driver's life.
The situation stems from team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris through.
This occurrence proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply 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, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing footage of the incident.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to catch Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and lose the position.
"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Key Points from the Situation
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
- Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.
