The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Regarding Comments Linked to Death Threats Targeting Driver 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 social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly switched his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the hurtful messages that appeared on his accounts. His team stated that a number of these communications included direct 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 suggested over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved significant for the title fight, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's statement stopped short of a direct apology for the original claim. However, sources 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 battling 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 moment when he spoke over the radio. The team reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a error. He said he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and experienced a "massive moment" that caused him to go off track and lose the position.

"It was really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points."

Key Points from the Situation

• Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments.
• The controversial remark involved an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
• The individual in question has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.