Red Bull 'sincerely regret' abuse faced by Antonelli after 'clearly incorrect' comments

Red Bull have said they "sincerely regret" the online abuse directed towards Kimi Antonelli following "clearly incorrect" comments suggesting the Mercedes rookie allowed title contender Lando Norris past in the Qatar Grand Prix.

With Max Verstappen on course to win at the Lusail International Circuit, Antonelli found himself running ahead of Norris in the closing stages of the race, thanks to a tyre strategy that had seen Mercedes pit both cars under the early Safety Car. That had gained Antonelli track position on Norris, who had slightly fresher hard tyres in the final stint.

Norris had closed to within DRS range of Antonelli, who was putting in a defensive masterclass to keep the McLaren at bay whilst also trying to catch up to Carlos Sainz ahead to fight for the final podium position. But with just two laps to go, Antonelli ran deep into a corner and that gave Norris the opportunity he needed to grab P4 and two extra vital points as he looks to secure his maiden title in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s race engineer, told the reigning champion over the radio: “Not sure what happened to Antonelli Max, looks like he just pulled over and let Norris through.” However, Lambiase was quick to apologise to Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff for the comment, conceding he had not seen the situation fully.

On Monday Red Bull released a statement that read: “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.

"Replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car, thus allowing Norris to pass him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Antonelli receiving online abuse.”

Following the conclusion of the Qatar Grand Prix, which saw the title battle move on to the finale in Abu Dhabi, Wolff was asked in his post-race media session about the remarks made about Antonelli, describing the notion he would move aside as "nonsense".

“We are fighting for P2 in the championship, which is important for us," Wolff explained. "Kimi is fighting for a potential P3 [in the race].

“It annoys me, because I'm annoyed with the race itself, how it went. I'm annoyed with the mistake at the end. I'm annoyed with other mistakes and then hearing such nonsense blows my mind.

“The other thing is that, beyond losing the points for the Constructors' Championship, I spoke to GP [Lambiase]. I saw him and obviously he was emotional in that moment because they [McLaren] needed a P3, I guess, to win the championship or P4, I don't know, but one position… And I said to him, he [Antonelli] just went off.

“[Antonelli] had a bit of a moment in the previous corner and then less entry speed into that left-hander, put the gas down and at that moment, which can happen, that lost the position. So with GP, everything is clear. He said he didn't see the situation.”

As for the race itself, Wolff seemed frustrated that his drivers could not show the full potential of the car. Russell had dropped places at the start, while Antonelli lost out to Sainz – and also on a potential podium – in the first round of pit stops.

“We had a fast car in the Sprint, and I think we had a fast car today," Wolff added. "When you lose positions on the pit stop and you make mistakes in the race, obviously that's not going to help. I think if you start in free air, you fight in the front."

Mercedes are 33 points ahead of Red Bull in the championship, as they look to secure P2 behind McLaren. And while that is some consolation from the final season of the current regulations, Wolff admitted it was a far cry from what he and the team expected of themselves.

“I think when we look at the statistics in 20 years, you can say there was a P2 in 2013, then there were eight consecutive World Championships, and then there was a P2, P3, P4, P2.

“I think it's not humiliating. You look at the stats, and you say, well, that's a team that has fought on the front. If we are being totally honest with ourselves, then you need to say that there wasn't a single year [of the regulations] we were really fighting for a World Championship.

“That is the crux of the matter. I think McLaren has doubled the points than us, almost, and in the previous years it was Max that ruled the world. No one in the team thinks that that's good enough.”