The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Over Comments Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly switched his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these communications constituted direct threats against the driver's life.
The controversy stems from team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let rival driver Lando Norris through.
This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him two additional points. This increased the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Observations voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse."
The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for second place in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. The team noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. He said he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.
"It was 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 was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
- Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.
