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

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by widespread social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly switched his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that several of these communications constituted threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with team radio 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 rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Comments made suggesting that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after reviewing footage of the on-track moment.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He said he was driving aggressively to catch Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," 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 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 involved an overtaking move that affected the title battle.
• Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.