Red Bull withdraws statements as Antonelli faces allegations of abuse.

      "It was a mistake in driving and was not done on purpose."

      Red Bull has publicly retracted its comments after Kimi Antonelli faced a wave of online harassment, including what seemed like death threats, following allegations that he intentionally assisted Lando Norris in Qatar. The 19-year-old Mercedes newcomer deactivated his social media accounts and locked them due to over a thousand negative messages. Toto Wolff promptly notified the FIA, leading to the governing body's intervention.

      Red Bull released an unusual formal statement separating itself from the implications made by Dr. Helmut Marko and Gianpiero Lambiase, Max Verstappen’s race engineer. "Replay footage shows Antonelli briefly losing control of his car, allowing Norris to overtake," the team stated. "We genuinely regret that this has resulted in Antonelli receiving online abuse.”

      Marko, who had been the most vocal critic, also retracted his statements. "I’ve reviewed the footage very closely," he told Sport1. "Initially, Antonelli could have defended better. On the second occasion, it was a driving mistake and not done on purpose. I apologize that Antonelli faced so much backlash online. To clarify, he did not let Norris pass intentionally."

      Before the situation escalated, Antonelli described the incident himself. "I was focused on my race and aimed for the podium," he told Viaplay. "I pushed hard and lost control. It wasn’t intentional, and I had limited options at that moment."

      The FIA took the opportunity to emphasize its stance against abuse. "It is essential that everyone involved in our sport operates in a safe and respectful environment," said the federation. "We support Kimi Antonelli and call on the broader community, both online and offline, to treat drivers, teams, officials, and the entire sporting environment with the respect and compassion they deserve."