🔗 Share this article The Red Bull team Voices Regret Regarding Comments Following Online Abuse Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli Max Verstappen's victory in Qatar pushes a thrilling championship decider. The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile 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 messages constituted threats against the youngster's life. The situation originated with radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass. This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi. In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse." The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after reviewing 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 brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?" Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli secured a P5 finish at the challenging Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. 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 tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points." Key Points from the Incident Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments. The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that affected the title battle. Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action. The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes management.
Max Verstappen's victory in Qatar pushes a thrilling championship decider. The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile 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 messages constituted threats against the youngster's life. The situation originated with radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass. This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi. In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse." The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after reviewing 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 brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?" Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli secured a P5 finish at the challenging Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. 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 tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points." Key Points from the Incident Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments. The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that affected the title battle. Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action. The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes management.