Red Bull Voices Regret Over Comments Linked to Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for comments made that were followed by widespread social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

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

The controversy originated with radio communications during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi receiving such abuse."

The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after reviewing video evidence of the incident.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to catch 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 Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
• Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes management.