The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Regarding Remarks Following Death Threats Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded widespread social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these messages constituted direct threats against the driver's life.
The controversy stems from team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.
This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."
The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me 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 added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the moment when he made the comment. The team reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."
Main Takeaways from the Situation
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
- The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that affected the championship standings.
- Video replays show Antonelli lost control, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.
