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

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly switched his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these messages constituted direct threats against the youngster's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing video evidence of the incident.

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

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. The team reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that led him to run wide and lose the position.

"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 additional points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that affected the championship standings.
• Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of deliberate action.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes management.