Red Bull Voices Regret Regarding Comments Linked to Death Threats Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli

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

Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these messages included direct threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy originated with radio communications during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him extra points. This increased the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."

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

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

Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. He commented he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and lose the position.

"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• 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 centered on an overtaking move that affected the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of team orders.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.