Red Bull Expresses Regret Over Comments Following Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have changed his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that a number of these messages constituted direct threats against the driver's life.
The situation stems from radio communications during the final laps of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris through.
This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced implying that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse."
The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the on-track moment.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "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 involved an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
- Video replays show Antonelli lost control, debunking the implication of team orders.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.
