Red Bull Expresses Regret Regarding Remarks Following Online Abuse Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli

Max Verstappen secures victory at the Qatar Grand Prix — *Max Verstappen's victory in Qatar sets up a dramatic season finale.*

The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its deep remorse for comments made that preceded widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli was said to have changed his Instagram profile to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. His team confirmed that several of these messages constituted threats against the driver's life.

The situation stems from team radio during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let McLaren's Lando Norris to pass.

This occurrence proved significant for the title fight, as Norris's pass earned him extra points. This increased the McLaren driver's points advantage over Verstappen to 12 points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull asserted: "Observations voiced implying that Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake are clearly incorrect. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thereby enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has resulted in Kimi receiving such abuse."

The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase later said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the incident.

"This is total, utter nonsense. That astounds me even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the team standings... How brainless can you be to even say something like this?"

Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he made the comment. Mercedes noted a "1,100% increase" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver during the race at the Losail track — *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 led him to go off track and surrender fourth place.

"It proved really hard with the dirty air and the high tyre temperatures," Antonelli remarked. "It's disappointing to lose the place because it would have been additional points."

Main Takeaways from the Incident

Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a team member.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
The disputed comment centered on an overtaking move that impacted the title battle.
Video replays confirm Antonelli lost control, debunking the suggestion of deliberate action.
The individual in question has expressed regret to Mercedes management.