The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Over Remarks Following Death Threats Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these messages constituted direct threats against the youngster'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 allow rival driver Lando Norris through.

This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake earned him extra points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Comments made suggesting that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."

The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff 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 fighting for second place in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He commented he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Key Points from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that impacted the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli lost control, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.