Did Kimi Antonelli let Lando Norris pass him in the Qatar GP?

No, Red Bull has admitted that Kimi Antonelli did not deliberately let Lando Norris pass him; replays show Antonelli briefly lost control of his car.

Why did Red Bull apologize to Kimi Antonelli?

Red Bull apologized because their initial public statements wrongly suggested Antonelli intentionally allowed Norris to overtake, which led to online abuse against the young driver.

How did Red Bull's comments affect the F1 championship race?

The initial comments implied a deliberate action by Antonelli that benefited Norris, impacting the points gained by Max Verstappen in the championship standings before the final race.

Home / Sports / Red Bull Admits Blunder: Apology Issued Over F1 Driver Accusations

Red Bull Admits Blunder: Apology Issued Over F1 Driver Accusations

1 Dec

•

Summary

Red Bull retracted claims Kimi Antonelli intentionally let Lando Norris pass.
Antonelli's engineer and advisor have apologized for initial statements.
The incorrect accusations led to significant online abuse directed at Antonelli.

Red Bull Admits Blunder: Apology Issued Over F1 Driver Accusations

Formula 1 team Red Bull has formally retracted statements made during and after the Qatar Grand Prix that accused young Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli of intentionally allowing Lando Norris to pass him. The team stated that replay footage clearly shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, which permitted Norris to overtake for fourth place.

This admission comes after initial frustration from Red Bull, whose race engineer and motorsport advisor had publicly suggested Antonelli had 'pulled over' or 'waved' Norris through. These comments were made in the context of the championship battle between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

Red Bull has issued a sincere apology, acknowledging that their inaccurate suggestions led to Kimi Antonelli enduring considerable online abuse. Both the race engineer and motorsport advisor have reportedly apologized directly to Antonelli and his team, recognizing the severe impact of their unfounded claims.