Red Bull Expresses Regret Regarding Remarks Following Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for comments made that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that several of these communications included direct threats against the driver's life.
The controversy stems from team radio during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.
This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to such abuse."
The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the incident.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a error. He said he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It was really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "A shame 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 staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings.
- Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.