Red Bull Expresses Remorse Regarding Comments Following Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its sincere regret for comments made that preceded widespread social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these messages constituted threats against the youngster's life.
The situation stems from radio communications during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.
This occurrence proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after reviewing footage of the on-track moment.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. 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 added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Main Takeaways from the Situation
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
- Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.
