Red Bull Voices Regret Over Comments Following Online Abuse Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for comments made that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these communications included threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy stems from radio communications during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow rival driver Lando Norris through.

This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Mercedes driver had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. The team reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was driving aggressively to close on the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and lose the position.

"It was really hard with the dirty air 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 expressed regret for comments made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that impacted the championship standings.
• Video replays show Antonelli lost control, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.