The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Over Comments Following Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment expressing its deep remorse for comments made that were followed by widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the hurtful messages that flooded his accounts. Mercedes stated that a number of these communications constituted direct threats against the driver'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 "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This incident proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake earned him extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its official communication, Red Bull asserted: "Comments made implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi receiving such abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later apologised to Mercedes team principal after reviewing footage of the incident.

"This is complete and utter rubbish. That astounds me even to hear that," said Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the constructors' championship... How brainless can you be to even suggest something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team reported a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a simple mistake. He commented he was pushing hard to close on Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that led him to go off track and lose the position.

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

Main Takeaways from the Incident

• Red Bull has voiced remorse for radio remarks made by a team member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the aftermath of those comments.
• The disputed comment centered on an on-track pass that affected the title battle.
• Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.