The Red Bull team Voices Regret Regarding Remarks Linked to Death Threats Targeting Driver 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 death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly switched his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these messages included direct threats against the driver's life.

The situation stems from radio communications during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved significant for the title fight, as the overtake earned him extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Comments made implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows 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 direct apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. 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 suggest something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages 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 close on the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and lose the position.

"It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points."

Key Points from the Incident

• Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings.
• Video replays show Antonelli lost control, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.