Red Bull Voices Remorse Regarding Comments Following Online Abuse Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli
The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that a number of these communications constituted direct threats against the youngster's life.
The situation stems from team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.
This occurrence proved significant for the championship battle, as the overtake secured extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Replay footage demonstrates 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 stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind 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 added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated 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 said he was driving aggressively to catch Carlos Sainz and experienced a "big snap" that led him to run wide and lose the position.
"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "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 received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
- The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
- Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of team orders.
- The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.
