Red Bull Issues Apology to Mercedes After Verstapen pi… Read More
Red Bull Racing has issued an apology to Mercedes following a tense pit lane incident during the Sprint race at the Miami Grand Prix. The incident involved Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes’ rising star Kimi Antonelli, and resulted in a penalty for Verstappen due to an unsafe release.
The incident unfolded as the track conditions were rapidly evolving due to drying lines following an earlier downpour. With the racing surface improving, teams opted to switch their drivers to slick tyres. Verstappen, running in third, and Antonelli, close behind in fourth, were both called into the pits around the same time. However, a critical error occurred in the Red Bull garage.
As Verstappen was released from his pit stop, he was sent directly into the path of Antonelli, who was just beginning to pull into the adjacent Mercedes pit box. The timing misjudgment forced Antonelli to react quickly and steer away in an attempt to avoid a collision. Despite his swift reaction, Verstappen’s car made contact with the rear-right of Antonelli’s Mercedes. The collision damaged Verstappen’s front wing and disrupted both teams’ pit operations, though no mechanics were injured in the close call.
Race stewards reviewed the incident and deemed it a clear case of unsafe release by Red Bull, penalizing Verstappen with a 10-second time penalty. The penalty, however, did not undo the damage already caused in terms of both race strategy and inter-team relations.
Following the Sprint, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner addressed the incident and took full responsibility. He acknowledged it was a human error during a high-pressure moment and extended an apology to both Kimi Antonelli and the Mercedes team for the mishap. Horner’s gesture aimed to ease tensions between the rival teams and demonstrate accountability on Red Bull’s part.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, however, did not hold back his criticism. In an interview with Sky F1, Wolff expressed frustration and disbelief at Red Bull’s decision-making. “I mean, if it was the main race, that would be seriously annoying,” he said. “I’m surprised about a total lack of judgement there, because it wasn’t even close to being a safe release. So, somebody panicked there.”
Despite the incident, both teams were able to continue without injury or further consequence. Nevertheless, the moment served as a reminder of how critical timing and precision are in the high-stakes environment of Formula 1, particularly during pit stops where split-second decisions can have serious ramifications.
