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

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have 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 communications constituted threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy stems from team radio during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

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

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced implying that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing footage 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 team standings... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

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

Key Points from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments 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 on-track pass that affected the title battle.
• Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.