Source:REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
[Saba Sports News] After the F1 Qatar Grand Prix, 18-year-old Mercedes driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli made a mistake that allowed Lando Norris to overtake him, indirectly helping Norris gain two additional points and intensifying the championship battle. However, social media was flooded with malicious attacks against Antonelli, including comments accusing him of deliberately letting cars pass, which deeply affected the young driver.
In an interview before the race in Abu Dhabi, Antonelli expressed that these comments were really hurtful, especially because he would never intentionally let an opponent through. He explained that he was fiercely chasing Carlos Sainz, hoping to contend for third place, and the dirty air from being closely behind another car accelerated tire degradation, ultimately leading to the mistake that resulted in his overtaking.
Initially, amid the controversy, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko suggested that Antonelli had intentionally let cars pass. However, Red Bull later issued a statement to correct this claim and expressed their deep apologies for the online harassment caused by these false statements.
What moved Antonelli even more was receiving proactive support from Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s chief engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. It is reported that both reached out to Antonelli, clarifying that they never believed he had intentionally let cars pass and expressing their support for him.