The Red Bull team 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 post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes stated that a number of these communications included threats against the driver's life.

The controversy originated with team radio 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 through.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured two additional points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made implying that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's announcement did not include a direct apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised 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," stated Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a error. He said he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "A shame 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 was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark centered on an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
• Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes management.