The Red Bull team Voices Regret Regarding Comments Linked to Online Abuse Against 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 online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these communications included direct threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the on-track moment.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the constructors' championship... 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 actual incident when he made the comment. The team reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and experienced a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and lose the position.

"It was really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that impacted the championship standings.
• Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.