The Red Bull team Voices Regret Over Comments Following Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team stated that a number of these communications constituted threats against the driver's life.
The situation stems from team radio during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let rival driver Lando Norris through.
This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake secured extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Comments voiced implying 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 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 Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the incident.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"
Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.
For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. He said he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.
"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 two more points."
Key Points from the Situation
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
- Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of team orders.
- The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes management.
