🔗 Share this article Red Bull Expresses Remorse Over Remarks Linked to Online Abuse Targeting Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli Max Verstappen's win in Qatar pushes a dramatic season finale. The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its deep remorse for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli reportedly switched his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these messages constituted threats against the youngster's life. The controversy stems from team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass. This occurrence proved significant for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi. In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse." The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the incident. "This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?" Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race. Kimi Antonelli secured a P5 finish at the challenging Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a error. He commented he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and lose the position. "It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," 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 voiced remorse for comments made by a team member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments. The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that affected the championship standings. Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of team orders. The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.
Max Verstappen's win in Qatar pushes a dramatic season finale. The Red Bull Formula 1 team has released a comment stating its deep remorse for comments made that preceded a torrent of social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli reportedly switched his social media picture to a blank image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. His team confirmed that a number of these messages constituted threats against the youngster's life. The controversy stems from team radio during the closing stages of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "appeared as if" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to allow McLaren's Lando Norris to pass. This occurrence proved significant for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points heading into the final race in Abu Dhabi. In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations made suggesting that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are clearly incorrect. Video evidence shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to pass him. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving online abuse." The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the original claim. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Mercedes team principal after being shown footage of the incident. "This is complete and utter rubbish. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are battling for P2 in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?" Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the actual incident when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race. Kimi Antonelli secured a P5 finish at the challenging Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli explained the moment as a error. He commented he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that caused him to go off track and lose the position. "It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," 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 voiced remorse for comments made by a team member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was targeted by death threats in the wake of those comments. The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that affected the championship standings. Video replays show Antonelli made a mistake, debunking the implication of team orders. The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes team leadership.