The Red Bull team Voices Regret Over Comments Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that several of these messages included direct threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy originated with team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as Norris's pass secured two additional points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Comments voiced implying that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."

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

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," said 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 cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the actual incident when he made the comment. The team reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a error. He said he was pushing hard to catch Carlos Sainz and experienced a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Key Points from the Situation

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for comments made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that impacted the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
• The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes management.