The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Over Remarks Linked to Death Threats Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these communications included threats against the driver's life.

The controversy stems from radio communications 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 McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This occurrence proved significant for the title fight, as Norris's pass secured two additional points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced implying that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's announcement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown footage 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 brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"It was 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 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 wake of those comments.
• The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
• Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of deliberate action.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.