The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Over Comments Linked to Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly switched his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these communications included threats against the driver's life.
The controversy stems from radio communications during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.
This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake secured two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."
The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after reviewing video evidence of the incident.
"This is total, utter nonsense. 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 say something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes noted a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a error. He said he was driving aggressively to catch Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that led him to go off track and lose the position.
"It was really hard with the dirty air 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 Incident
- Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
- The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
- Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of team orders.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.
