The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Regarding Comments Linked to Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for comments made that preceded widespread social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that several of these communications included threats against the youngster's life.

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

This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake secured two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry 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 battling for second place in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli explained 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 go off track and lose the position.

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

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that affected the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.