🔗 Share this article The Red Bull team Voices Remorse Over Remarks Linked to Online Abuse Against Driver Kimi Antonelli Max Verstappen's win in Qatar pushes a thrilling season finale. The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded widespread social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these communications constituted direct threats against the driver's life. The controversy originated with radio communications during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass. This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver'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 intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse." The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment. "This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?" Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race. Kimi Antonelli finished fifth at the demanding Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. He said he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that led him to go off track and lose the position. "It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points." Main Takeaways from the Incident Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a team member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments. The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings. Video evidence show Antonelli lost control, debunking the suggestion of team orders. The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.
Max Verstappen's win in Qatar pushes a thrilling season finale. The Red Bull Formula 1 team has issued a statement stating its sincere regret for post-race remarks that preceded widespread social media vitriol, including death threats, directed at young talent Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli reportedly changed his social media picture to a solid black image on Monday, a reaction to the abusive comments that appeared on his accounts. Mercedes confirmed that a number of these communications constituted direct threats against the driver's life. The controversy originated with radio communications during the closing stages of the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked over the air that it "looked like" Antonelli had "deliberately moved aside" to let rival driver Lando Norris to pass. This occurrence proved crucial for the title fight, as the overtake earned him two additional points. This increased the McLaren driver'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 intentionally let Lando Norris past are factually wrong. Video evidence demonstrates Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, thus enabling Norris to get by. We deeply regret that this has led to Kimi being subjected to online abuse." The team's announcement stopped short of a direct apology for the initial accusation. However, sources indicate that Lambiase subsequently said sorry to Toto Wolff after being shown video evidence of the on-track moment. "This is total, utter nonsense. That blows my mind even to hear that," stated Wolff. "We are fighting for second place in the constructors' championship... How foolish can you be to even say something like this?" Wolff explained that he had spoken with Lambiase, who stated he did not witness the moment when he spoke over the radio. The team reported a "massive surge" in negative traffic targeting Antonelli after the race. Kimi Antonelli finished fifth at the demanding Qatar Grand Prix. For his part, Antonelli explained the racing incident as a error. He said he was pushing hard to catch the Williams ahead and experienced a "big snap" that led him to go off track and lose the position. "It was really hard with the turbulence and the tyres were overheating," the driver stated. "A shame to lose the place because it would have been additional points." Main Takeaways from the Incident Red Bull has expressed regret for comments made by a team member. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli received severe online abuse in the aftermath of those comments. The disputed comment involved an overtaking move that impacted the championship standings. Video evidence show Antonelli lost control, debunking the suggestion of team orders. The engineer involved has expressed regret to Mercedes management.