Red Bull expresses regret over abuse directed at Kimi Antonelli
Red Bull has expressed “sincere regret” over remarks made during and immediately after the Qatar Grand Prix that preceded a wave of online abuse – including death threats – directed at Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, whose social-media channels were subsequently flooded with hostile messages, reports BritPanorama.
The 18-year-old Italian, competing in his first full Formula One season, changed his Instagram profile picture to black on Monday morning after Mercedes confirmed he had received a barrage of threatening messages. The volume of abuse reported was said to represent a “1,100 per cent increase” on the typical level of weekend aggression monitored by the team, although Antonelli himself did not see the comments due to moderation on his channels.
The furore began in the closing laps at Lusail when Antonelli ran wide at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap, losing fourth place to Lando Norris. This lost position granted the McLaren driver two additional championship points, extending his lead over Max Verstappen to 12 rather than 10 ahead of the three-way title decider in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
In the immediate aftermath, Verstappen’s race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, suggested over team radio that it “looked like” Antonelli had “just pulled over and let Norris through.” This comment, made without access to replays, was swiftly amplified on social media, with some fans interpreting it as an accusation of impropriety against Antonelli.
Red Bull issued a public statement on Monday, seeking to clarify their position and distance the team from such an interpretation. “Comments made before the end of and immediately after the Qatar GP suggesting that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli had deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake him are clearly incorrect,” the team stated. “Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse.”
The statement stopped short of a direct apology to Antonelli; however, Mercedes confirmed that Lambiase privately apologised to team principal Toto Wolff once shown the footage. Mercedes representative Bradley Lord noted that Lambiase “hadn’t seen the video” prior to making the comment and apologised “immediately” when it was shown to him.
Wolff expressed his anger at the escalation of the incident, branding the accusation “total, utter nonsense” and questioning the decision to make such claims over team radio. “How brainless can you be to even say something like this?” he remarked, asserting that Antonelli was contesting a potential podium finish while the team was vying for second in the constructors’ championship. “He simply went off the track.”
Wolff also mentioned that Lambiase had been “emotional in the moment” given Red Bull’s narrow points deficit, but affirmed that “everything is clear” between the teams after they managed to clear the air.
For his part, Antonelli described the incident that sparked the controversy as a straightforward driving error under pressure. “I was pushing a lot to get close to Carlos [Sainz],” he said, explaining that he had gone into Turn Nine too quickly, resulting in a sudden loss of control. “A shame to lose the place because it would have been two more points.”
While F1 authorities have yet to comment formally on the wave of abuse faced by Antonelli, both teams reiterated calls for restraint and responsibility online as the sport heads into one of its most tightly poised finales in recent years, reminding fans that the line between passion and hostility can sometimes blur dangerously in high-stakes competition.
