Red Bull Voices Regret Regarding Remarks Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its deep remorse for comments made that were followed by a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that several of these communications constituted direct threats against the driver's life.
The controversy stems from team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.
This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him extra 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: "Comments made implying that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi receiving such abuse."
The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the incident.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for second place in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"
Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and lose the position.
"It was really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Key Points from the Situation
- Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
- Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.
