The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Over Comments Linked to Death Threats Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its deep remorse for comments made that preceded widespread online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that a number of these messages included direct threats against the driver's life.

The controversy originated with team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Comments voiced implying that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that led him to run wide and lose the position.

"It was really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional 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 wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
• Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.