Red Bull Expresses Regret Regarding Comments Following Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these messages included direct threats against the driver's life.

The situation stems from radio communications during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the incident.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. The team noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a error. He said he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and lose the position.

"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points."

Key Points from the Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.