The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Over Remarks Following Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for comments made that were followed by widespread 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 response to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that several of these messages included threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow rival driver Lando Norris through.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him two additional points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's announcement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the incident.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even suggest 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 reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to close on the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that led him to go off track and lose the position.

"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the wake of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that affected the title battle.
• Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the suggestion of team orders.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.