Red Bull Voices Remorse Over Remarks Linked to Online Abuse Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for comments made that preceded widespread online abuse, including death 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 appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these communications constituted direct threats against the youngster's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the final laps of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This extended the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to 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 incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that led him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," 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 radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.