Red Bull Voices Regret Regarding Remarks Following Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these messages constituted direct threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy originated with radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris through.

This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi receiving such abuse."

The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "massive moment" that led him to go off track and lose the position.

"It was really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Key Points from the Situation

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that affected the title battle.
• Video replays show Antonelli lost control, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.