The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Over Comments Linked to Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded widespread online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team stated that a number of these communications constituted threats against the youngster's life.
The situation originated with radio communications during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested 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 Norris's pass secured extra points. This increased the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence shows 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 stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Mercedes team principal after reviewing footage 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 team standings... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to close on the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "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 staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
- Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
- The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes management.
