The Red Bull team Voices Regret Regarding Remarks Following Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for comments made that were followed by widespread online abuse, including death 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 flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that a number of these communications constituted direct threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy originated with team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved significant for the title fight, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How brainless 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 moment when he made the comment. The team reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that led 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."

Main Takeaways from the Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that affected the championship standings.
• Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.