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

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment stating its deep remorse for comments made that preceded a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these messages included direct threats against the driver's life.

The controversy stems from team radio during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris through.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured two additional points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's announcement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the incident.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. The team reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He said he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "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 comments made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings.
• Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.