The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Regarding Comments Following Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its deep remorse for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including death 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. Mercedes stated that a number of these messages constituted threats against the youngster's life.
The controversy originated with team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.
This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake secured two additional points. This increased the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made implying that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff after reviewing video evidence of the incident.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a error. He said he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that led him to go off track and lose the position.
"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."
Key Points from the Incident
- Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the wake of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
- Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.
