Red Bull Voices Remorse Regarding Comments Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these communications included direct threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy originated with radio communications during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a formal 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 brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. The team reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "massive moment" 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 Situation

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
• The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
• Video replays show Antonelli lost control, contradicting the suggestion of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.