Red Bull Expresses Regret Regarding Comments Following Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these messages included threats against the youngster's life.

The situation originated with radio communications during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as the overtake secured two additional points. This increased the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made implying that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing video evidence of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to catch Carlos Sainz and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and lose the position.

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

Main Takeaways from the Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.