The Red Bull team Voices Regret Over Remarks Following Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these messages constituted direct threats against the driver's life.
The controversy stems from 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 "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.
This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him extra points. This extended the Briton's points advantage 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 deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."
The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the incident.
"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"
Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.
For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. He said he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that led him to run wide and surrender fourth place.
"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."
Main Takeaways from the Situation
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a staff member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
- The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
- Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.
