Red Bull Voices Remorse Over Comments Following Death Threats Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for comments made that preceded widespread 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 hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that a number of these messages constituted direct threats against the youngster's life.

The controversy originated with team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake secured two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Comments voiced suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby allowing Norris to get by. We sincerely regret that this has led to 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 subsequently apologised 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," stated Wolff. "We are battling for second place in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the actual incident when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli following the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and experienced a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It was really hard with the dirty air 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 Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings.
• Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of team orders.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.