Red Bull Voices Remorse Regarding Remarks Linked to Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

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

Antonelli was said to have changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these messages included direct threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced implying that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the original claim. However, reports 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 P2 in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

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

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"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 additional points."

Key Points from the Situation

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The controversial remark centered on an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.