Red Bull Voices Remorse Over Comments Linked to Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for comments made that preceded widespread social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these messages constituted threats against the driver's life.

The controversy stems from radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This occurrence proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Mercedes team principal after reviewing footage of the on-track moment.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated 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 actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes 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 led him to run wide and lose the position.

"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 additional points."

Main Takeaways from the Situation

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
• Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.