Red Bull Voices Regret Regarding Remarks Linked to Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for comments made that preceded widespread online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes stated that a number of these communications constituted direct threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced implying that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby allowing 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 initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing 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 battling for P2 in the team standings... How foolish 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 actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes noted a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "massive moment" that led him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

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

Key Points from the Situation

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