The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for comments made that preceded widespread online abuse, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes stated that a number 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. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris through.
This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Comments made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."
The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the incident.
"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," said 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 stated he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race.
For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and experienced a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.
"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."
Key Points from the Incident
- Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
- Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the wake of those comments.
- The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that impacted 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.
