Red Bull Voices Regret Over Comments Linked to Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that a number of these communications constituted threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let rival driver Lando Norris through.

This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured two additional points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull clarified: "Observations voiced implying that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after reviewing footage of the on-track moment.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for second place in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a error. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that led him to run wide and lose the position.

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

Key Points from the Situation

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks 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 on-track pass that impacted the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.