The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Regarding Comments Linked to Online Abuse Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that a number of these communications included direct threats against the youngster's life.

The situation stems from radio communications during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This occurrence proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the incident.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. 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 say something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. 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 tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "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 staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
• Video evidence show Antonelli lost control, contradicting the implication of team orders.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.