Red Bull Voices Regret Over Remarks Following Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these messages included direct threats against the driver's life.
The controversy originated with team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.
This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced implying that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's announcement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the incident.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. The team reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to catch Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It was really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Main Takeaways from the Incident
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings.
- Video evidence show Antonelli lost control, debunking the implication of team orders.
- The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.
