Antonelli himself is said to have received more than 1,100 annoying notifications on his various channels. Mercedes will share all online messages addressed to Antonelli with the motorsport federation FIA, which itself has previously started a campaign to put a stop to online threats.
Red Bull Racing distanced itself via social media on Monday from the statements made by racing engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and top advisor Helmut Marko after the Qatar Formula 1 Grand Prix last weekend.
“Comments made before the end of and immediately after the Qatar GP, suggesting that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli had deliberately let Lando Norris pass, are clearly incorrect,” the Austrian racing team said. “Replay footage shows that Antonelli briefly lost control of his car, allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this led to online insults against Kimi.”
“I go crazy when I hear such nonsense”: mistake by Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli unleashes “mindless” conspiracy theory at Red Bull
Antonelli’s mistake
At the Losail International Circuit it looked for a long time that Kimi Antonelli would finish in fourth place, just ahead of World Championship leader Lando Norris. However, the Belgian Briton from McLaren was able to pass the nineteen-year-old Italian on the penultimate lap, after the Mercedes driver had made a steering error, and captured two valuable World Championship points with his fourth place. As a result, the difference with defending champion Max Verstappen, who triumphed in Doha after a strategic blunder by McLaren, is not ten but twelve points.
After the GP, Lambiase and Marko suggested that Antonelli had voluntarily let Norris pass. “I don’t know exactly what happened to Antonelli. It seemed like he just pulled over and let Lando pass,” the race engineer said over the on-board radio. Top adviser Marko said it was “so clear” that Norris was “let through” by Antonelli. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff reacted furiously to Red Bull’s “brainless” accusations. “This is total nonsense. How stupid do you have to be to say something like that? Why would we even think about getting involved in the drivers’ championship? You really need to take a good look at yourself and ask yourself if you don’t see ghosts.”