The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Over Comments Following Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for comments made that preceded a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these messages constituted threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made implying that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Mercedes team principal after reviewing footage of the on-track moment.

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

Wolff explained 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 negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced a "massive moment" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"It proved 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."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The disputed comment involved 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 apologised to Mercedes management.