The Red Bull team Voices Regret Over Remarks Following Death Threats Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its sincere regret for comments made that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have switched his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these messages included threats against the driver's life.
The controversy originated with 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 allow McLaren's Lando Norris through.
This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake secured extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."
The team's announcement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the incident.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," said 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. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to close on the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and lose the position.
"It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "A shame 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 team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
- Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
- The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.
