The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Over Remarks Linked to Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly switched his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team stated that a number of these messages constituted direct threats against the driver's life.
The situation stems from team radio during the final laps of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.
This occurrence proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the on-track moment.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. The team noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that led him to run wide and lose the position.
"It proved 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 two more points."
Key Points from the Situation
- Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
- Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of team orders.
- The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.
