Red Bull Expresses Regret Over Comments Linked to Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team stated that a number of these communications included direct threats against the driver's life.

The situation originated with team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This extended the Briton's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's announcement did not include a formal apology for the original claim. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the incident.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... 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 actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It was really hard with the turbulence 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 voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
• The disputed comment involved an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes management.