Red Bull Expresses Remorse Regarding Comments Following Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment stating its sincere regret for comments made that were followed by widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these messages constituted direct threats against the youngster'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 let rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him extra points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made implying that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff 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 second place in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He said he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that led him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points."

Main Takeaways from the Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that impacted the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli lost control, contradicting the suggestion of team orders.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.