The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Over Comments Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

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

Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these communications included direct threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy originated with team radio during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake earned him extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Comments made implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.

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

Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the dirty air 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 radio remarks made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that affected the championship standings.
• Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of team orders.
• The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes management.