Red Bull Issue Statement on Kimi Antonelli After Controversial Qatar GP Incident
Max Verstappen claimed his seventh Grand Prix victory of the season in Qatar
Red Bull have issued a statement about Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli after a controversial finale to the penultimate race of the season in Qatar.
The battle for the Formula 1 world title will now continue into Sunday's season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Lando Norris enters the final race with a 12-point lead over reigning world champion Max Verstappen and a 16-point advantage over his teammate Oscar Piastri.
It means the Briton will secure his maiden title in Abu Dhabi, provided he finishes on the podium next weekend.
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In Qatar, Norris, who had started the race in second, looked set for a disappointing fifth-placed finish after a strategic blunder from McLaren.
Despite having fresher tyres than Antonelli in the closing laps, he was unable to get past the young Italian.
But on the penultimate lap, Antonelli ran wide, allowing Norris to overtake him and finish fourth, securing two more points that could prove crucial in the title battle.
The incident left the Red Bull team furious, with Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, claiming over team radio that it looked like Antonelli had "just pulled over and let Norris through."
Following criticism from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, Red Bull have now issued a statement on the incident.
It said: "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.
"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."
RacingNews365 report that more than 1,100 severe or suspect comments have been flagged by Mercedes' community management tools on Antonelli's accounts.
Several of those messages include death threats or people wishing harm against the teenager.
Shortly after the end of the race, Antonelli took to Instagram to remove his usual profile picture and replace it with an all-black image.
Mercedes are reportedly taking the matter "very seriously" and will present the comments to the FIA as part of the organisation's United Against Online Abuse campaign.
Red Bull chief advisor Helmut Marko was also critical of Antonelli, claiming the Italian had let Norris past and describing the incident as "too flashy."
However, in an interview with F1 Insider, Marko has since clarified his comments.
"I've looked at the footage again very carefully," he continued.
"The first time, Antonelli could have put up a bit more of a fight [referring to the earlier slipstreaming duel against the onrushing Oscar Piastri on the start-finish straight].
"The second time, it was a driving error and not intentional.
"I'm sorry that Antonelli got so much flak online. To make it perfectly clear: He didn't let Norris past intentionally."
After the race, Antonelli explained that he had made a mistake, losing the rear of the car while coming out of turn nine.
The Mercedes driver had spent several laps in the dirty air behind Carlos Sainz as he fought for the final spot on the podium.
In the end, Antonelli had to settle for a fifth-place finish.
Topics: Formula 1, Mercedes, Red Bull Racing
James Taylor