The Red Bull team Expresses Remorse Regarding Remarks Linked to Online Abuse Targeting Driver Kimi Antonelli

The Red Bull racing outfit has released a comment stating its deep remorse for post-race remarks that preceded widespread online abuse, including vile threats, directed at Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli.

Antonelli reportedly switched his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a response to the abusive comments that flooded his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these messages constituted threats against the youngster's life.

The situation stems from radio communications during the final laps of the recent race. Max Verstappen's race engineer remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "just pulled over" to let rival driver Lando Norris through.

This occurrence proved significant for the championship battle, as the overtake earned him extra points. This extended the Briton's championship lead over Verstappen to a dozen points ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.

In its statement, Red Bull clarified: "Observations made implying that Kimi Antonelli had intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse."

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

"This is total, utter nonsense. 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 say something like this?"

Wolff added that he had spoken with Lambiase, who claimed he had not seen the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team reported a "massive surge" in abusive messages targeting Antonelli after the Grand Prix.

For his part, Antonelli described the racing incident as a error. He commented he was driving aggressively to catch Carlos Sainz and had a "big snap" that caused him to run wide and surrender fourth place.

"It was 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 additional points."

Key Points from the Incident

• Red Bull has expressed regret for radio remarks made by a staff member.
• Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the wake of those comments.
• The controversial remark centered on an on-track pass that affected the championship standings.
• Video evidence confirm Antonelli made a mistake, contradicting the implication of team orders.
• The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.