Red Bull Voices Regret Regarding Comments Following Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for comments made that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that a number of these communications included direct threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with radio communications during the final laps of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen 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 to overtake are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch Carlos Sainz and experienced a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "A shame 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 team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that impacted the championship standings.
• Video replays confirm Antonelli lost control, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.