The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Regarding Remarks Following Death Threats Against Mercedes Star Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has issued a statement expressing its deep remorse for post-race remarks that were followed by a torrent of online abuse, including vile threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have 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 confirmed that a number of these communications constituted direct threats against the youngster'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 "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to allow rival driver Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake earned him extra points. This increased the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Comments voiced suggesting that Mercedes driver had deliberately allowed Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse."

The team's statement did not include a formal apology for the initial accusation. However, reports indicate that Lambiase subsequently apologised to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the incident.

"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 added that he had cleared the air with Lambiase, who claimed he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. Mercedes reported a "1,100% increase" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the race.

For his part, Antonelli described the moment as a error. He commented he was pushing hard to catch Carlos Sainz and experienced a "massive moment" that led him to go off track and lose the position.

"It proved 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 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 controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that impacted the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli lost control, debunking the implication of team orders.
• The engineer involved has apologised to Mercedes team leadership.