The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Over Comments Linked to Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these messages constituted threats against the driver's life.

The situation 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 occurrence proved significant for the title fight, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Comments voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling 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, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown footage of the on-track moment.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"It was really hard with the turbulence 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 Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of team orders.
• The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes management.