The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Over Comments Following Online Abuse Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver 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 flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that a number of these messages constituted 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 "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake secured extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing footage of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for second place in the team standings... How foolish 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 made the comment. The team reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to catch Carlos Sainz and experienced a "massive moment" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"It was really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Key Points from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a staff 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 championship standings.
• Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.