With Red Bull’s defending champion Max Verstappen leading, Norris was stuck behind Antonelli’s Mercedes. When the teenager ran wide on a corner on the penultimate lap, the Briton zoomed past to grab fourth and two extra points.
“Not sure what happened to Antonelli Max, looks like he just pulled over and let Norris through,” Gianpiero ‘GP’ Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer, immediately told his driver in a radio message which television viewers also heard.
Red Bull adviser, Helmut Marko, said later that the 19-year-old “waved” Norris past.
On Monday, Antonelli’s profile picture on his Instagram account was blacked out.
Mercedes said comments attacking Antonelli on his various social media accounts had shown a “1,100 per cent increase in the abuse we sadly usually see on a Sunday of a race weekend.”
British media reported that the team said several of the comments “were death threats” and that it had flagged 330 more “severe or suspect” comments on team social media.
McLaren use engines manufactured by Mercedes.
On Monday, Red Bull issued a statement acknowledging that “replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him.
“We sincerely regret that this has led to Antonelli receiving online abuse,” it added.
Mercedes said Lambiase had apologised to team principal Toto Wolff.
“I spoke to GP,” said Wolff. “I saw him and obviously he was emotional in that moment.
“He said he didn’t see the situation.”
Norris will go into the final race in Abu Dhabi 12 points ahead of the Dutchman. If Verstappen wins, Norris can finish third and still take the title. Without the two points he would have needed to come second to be sure.
“We are fighting for second in the constructors’ championship, which is important for us,” said Wolff. “Kimi is fighting for a potential third in the race. I mean, how brainless can you be to even say something like this?
“Why would we do this? Why would we even think about interfering in a driver championship? You really need to check yourself and whether you are seeing ghosts.” (AFP)
