The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Over Remarks Linked to Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for comments made that were followed by widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these communications constituted direct threats against the youngster's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let rival driver Lando Norris through.

This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake earned him extra 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 clarified: "Observations made implying that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's announcement did not include a direct apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after reviewing footage of the on-track moment.

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

Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. The team reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and lose the position.

"It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Key Points from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The controversial remark centered on an overtaking move that affected the title battle.
• Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.