The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Regarding Remarks Linked to Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these messages constituted direct threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy stems from team radio during the final laps of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris to overtake are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a formal apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after reviewing footage of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the team standings... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes noted a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was driving aggressively to close on the Williams ahead and had a "big snap" that led him to go off track and lose the position.

"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 two more points."

Main Takeaways from the Situation

• 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 controversial remark involved an on-track pass that impacted the title battle.
• Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
• The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.