Red Bull Expresses Remorse Over Remarks Linked to Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by widespread social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these messages included direct threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy stems from team radio during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris through.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. The team reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to close on the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that led him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It was really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes management.