Red Bull Expresses Regret Regarding Comments Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these communications included threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing video evidence 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 suggest something like this?"

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

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and lose the position.

"It was really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that impacted the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action.
• The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes management.