The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Over Remarks Linked to Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that several of these communications included direct threats against the youngster's life.

The situation stems from radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "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, thus enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he made the comment. The team noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced a "massive moment" that led him to run wide and lose the position.

"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Main Takeaways from the Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
• Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.