Red Bull Expresses Remorse Over Remarks Following Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for comments made that were followed by a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that several of these messages constituted direct threats against the driver's life.

The controversy originated with radio communications during the final laps of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris through.

This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as Norris's pass earned him two additional 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 clarified: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown footage of the on-track moment.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are battling for second place 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 had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. The team reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. He said he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings.
• Video evidence show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.