Red Bull Expresses Remorse Regarding Comments Linked to Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing 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 switched his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that several of these communications included threats against the driver's life.

The situation 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 rival driver Lando Norris through.

This occurrence proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Observations made suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after reviewing video evidence of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
• Video replays show Antonelli lost control, contradicting the suggestion of deliberate action.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.