Red Bull Expresses Remorse Regarding Comments Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its sincere regret for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have switched his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these messages constituted threats against the driver's life.

The controversy originated with team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let McLaren's Lando Norris through.

This incident proved significant for the championship battle, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This increased 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 suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to such abuse."

The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. The team reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He said he was driving aggressively to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that led him to run wide and lose the position.

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

Key Points from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
• Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of deliberate action.
• The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes management.