The controversy from last weekend's Qatar Grand Prix continues to reverberate through the Formula One world, with Red Bull issuing a formal apology for claims made about Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli.
Red Bull Retracts "Incorrect" Claims
In a significant backdown, the Red Bull team admitted on Monday that suggestions their personnel made during and after the race were "clearly incorrect." The team had implied that Antonelli deliberately allowed McLaren's Lando Norris to overtake him in the closing stages of the penultimate race of the season.
The team posted a retraction on social media, stating replay footage clearly showed Antonelli momentarily lost control of his car, which allowed Norris to pass. Red Bull expressed sincere regret that the incident had led to the young Italian driver receiving over 1000 messages of online abuse, including death threats.
The Crucial Moment in the Title Fight
The incident occurred with Norris running fifth behind Antonelli. When the Mercedes driver slid wide, Norris seized the opportunity to take fourth place. This move proved critical in the championship standings, allowing the McLaren driver to maintain a 12-point lead over Red Bull's Max Verstappen heading into this weekend's season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The extra two points Norris gained could be decisive in the intense three-way battle for the drivers' crown. Australia's Oscar Piastri remains in mathematical contention, sitting four points behind Verstappen and 16 adrift of his teammate Norris.
During the race, Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, suggested over team radio that it seemed Antonelli had let Norris by. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko later claimed Antonelli had "waved him by." These comments ignited the firestorm of speculation and subsequent abuse directed at the Mercedes driver.
Team Principals and Drivers React
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was fiercely defensive of his driver, labelling the accusations "total, utter nonsense." Wolff expressed disbelief, questioning why anyone would think the team would interfere in the drivers' championship and emphasising Antonelli was still fighting to catch Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in third place.
Antonelli himself explained the moment from his perspective. "I was pushing hard to stay ahead of Norris in the closing stages and unfortunately just pushed a little bit too hard," he said. "I got out of shape through turn nine and then had a massive snap of oversteer. I was lucky to save the car but sadly dropped the position."
Meanwhile, McLaren boss Andrea Stella offered hope to Oscar Piastri, stating the Australian "is definitely in condition to win the title." He pointed to F1 history, citing Kimi Raikkonen's 2007 comeback from third place going into the final race, as a reason for optimism despite McLaren's strategic error in Qatar that cost Piastri a likely victory.
Stella confirmed both McLaren drivers will be free to race in Abu Dhabi while they have a chance at the championship, but the primary goal is to beat Max Verstappen with one of their two cars.
The fallout from Qatar has added a bitter and controversial subplot to what promises to be a thrilling championship decider in the United Arab Emirates.
