The Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli has received an apology from Red Bull after being subject to death threats amid a torrent of online abuse following suggestions from some members of the Red Bull team that the teenager moved over to allow Lando Norris through at the Qatar Grand Prix.
In the final stages of the race Norris, who had been chasing Antonelli for fourth place, managed to get past the Italian when he made an error at turn nine and went wide through turn 10, ensuring the British driver’s advantage over Verstappen was 12 rather than 10 points going into the last race of the season. That gap means Norris can finish third rather than second at the title-deciding finale in Abu Dhabi this weekend and still claim the championship from Verstappen, who is in second place.
At the end of the race the Dutch driver’s engineer Gianpiero Lambiase told him over the radio that it looked like Antonelli had “just pulled over and let Norris through”. Those comments were then exacerbated by the Red Bull motorsport adviser, Helmut Marko, who said Antonelli had “waved” Norris past.
The 19-year-old, who is very friendly with Verstappen, received a swathe of online abuse. He turned his profile picture on Instagram black, while Mercedes identified what they describe as “more than 1,100 severe or suspect” comments, “several of which were death threats” on Antonelli’s social media. The team identified another 330 “severe or suspect” comments on their own social media. The team have reported the incidents to the FIA’s United Against Online Abuse campaign.
After the race the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, called the comments “brainless” and “total utter nonsense”. He said he had confronted Lambiase, who had apologised, and on Monday Red Bull issued a statement offering their apologies for provoking the abuse.
“Comments made before the end of and immediately after the Qatar GP suggesting that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake him are clearly incorrect,” Red Bull said. “Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse.”
