Red Bull Voices Remorse Regarding Comments Following Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that several of these messages constituted threats against the driver's life.

The situation stems from radio communications during the final laps of the recent race. 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 crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him two additional points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Observations voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing video evidence of the on-track moment.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are battling for second place in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced a "big snap" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

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

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that affected the title battle.
• Video evidence show Antonelli lost control, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.