Red Bull Voices Regret Over Remarks Linked to Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded widespread online abuse, including vile 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 hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that several of these communications constituted threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy originated with radio communications during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him extra points. This increased 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: "Comments made implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's announcement did not include a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing video evidence of the incident.

"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 suggest something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

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

"It proved 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 expressed regret for comments made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings.
• Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.