🔗 Share this article Red Bull Expresses Regret Over Remarks Linked to Death Threats Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli Max Verstappen's win in Qatar pushes a dramatic championship decider. The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for comments made that preceded widespread online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli reportedly changed 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 threats against the driver's life. The controversy originated with radio communications during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass. This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi. In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made implying that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows 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 announcement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment. "This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?" Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the actual incident when he made the comment. The team noted a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli finished fifth at the challenging Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place. "It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "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 radio remarks made by a staff member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments. The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that affected the championship standings. Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders. The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.
Max Verstappen's win in Qatar pushes a dramatic championship decider. The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement expressing its sincere regret for comments made that preceded widespread online abuse, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli reportedly changed 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 threats against the driver's life. The controversy originated with radio communications during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass. This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as Norris's pass secured extra points. This extended the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi. In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made implying that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Replay footage shows 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 announcement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment. "This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for P2 in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?" Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the actual incident when he made the comment. The team noted a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli finished fifth at the challenging Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a simple mistake. He said he was pushing hard to close on the Williams ahead and had a "massive moment" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place. "It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," Antonelli remarked. "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 radio remarks made by a staff member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received death threats in the aftermath of those comments. The controversial remark involved an overtaking move that affected the championship standings. Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders. The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.