🔗 Share this article The Red Bull team Expresses Regret Regarding Remarks Linked to Death Threats Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli Max Verstappen's victory in Qatar sets up a thrilling championship decider. The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for comments made that were followed by widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli was said to have changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team stated that a number of these messages included direct threats against the driver's life. The situation originated with team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris through. This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured two additional points. This extended 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 clarified: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse." The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal 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 fighting for P2 in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?" Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. The team noted a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli finished fifth at the demanding Qatar Grand Prix. 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 go off track and surrender fourth place. "It was really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points." Main Takeaways from the Situation Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments. The controversial remark centered on an overtaking move that affected the championship standings. Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action. The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.
Max Verstappen's victory in Qatar sets up a thrilling championship decider. The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for comments made that were followed by widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli was said to have changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team stated that a number of these messages included direct threats against the driver's life. The situation originated with team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris through. This occurrence proved crucial for the championship battle, as the overtake secured two additional points. This extended 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 clarified: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse." The team's statement did not include a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Mercedes team principal 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 fighting for P2 in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even suggest something like this?" Wolff explained that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who stated he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. The team noted a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli following the Grand Prix. Kimi Antonelli finished fifth at the demanding Qatar Grand Prix. 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 go off track and surrender fourth place. "It was really hard with the turbulence and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points." Main Takeaways from the Situation Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a staff member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments. The controversial remark centered on an overtaking move that affected the championship standings. Video replays confirm Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action. The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.