Red Bull Voices Remorse Over Remarks Linked to Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by widespread social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these messages included 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 remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake secured two additional points. This increased the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff after reviewing video evidence of the on-track moment.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," said 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 cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and lose the position.

"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments 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 confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes management.