The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Over Remarks Linked to Death Threats Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver 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. His team confirmed that a number of these communications included direct threats against the driver's life.
The controversy originated with team radio 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 let McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.
This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."
The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced 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," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Main Takeaways from the Incident
- Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
- The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that affected the championship standings.
- Video evidence confirm Antonelli lost control, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.
