Red Bull Voices Regret Regarding Remarks Linked to Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that a number of these communications included threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy originated with team radio during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Observations voiced implying that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown footage of the on-track moment.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. He commented he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.