Red Bull Racing has issued an official statement expressing regret over the online abuse directed at Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli, following allegations that he intentionally let Lando Norris pass during the closing laps of the Qatar Grand Prix.
The controversy began when comments from within the Red Bull camp — including race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and senior advisor Helmut Marko — suggested that Antonelli had “pulled over” and “waved” Norris through on the penultimate lap. The overtake helped Norris gain two extra championship points, extending his lead over Max Verstappen to 12 points heading into this weekend’s Abu Dhabi decider.
Red Bull retracts claim: “Clearly incorrect”
Hours later, after reviewing the race footage, Red Bull released a clear correction:
“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 acknowledged that replay angles showed Antonelli momentarily losing control and running wide, which opened the door for Norris to move past in Turn 14.
“We sincerely regret the abuse”
Red Bull’s statement also addressed the online backlash Antonelli has faced:
“We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse.”
The 18-year-old Mercedes driver had been defending fiercely against Norris before the off-track moment. With title stakes extremely high — Norris needs only a top-three finish in Abu Dhabi to secure the 2025 championship — the overtake immediately triggered speculation and frustration in the rival camp.
Title pressure spills into controversy
The pass meant that Verstappen’s Qatar win did not cut the deficit as much as Red Bull had hoped. Instead of trailing Norris by 10 points, the gap stands at 12, with Oscar Piastri also lingering four points behind Verstappen in the three-way fight.
But Red Bull’s clarification now confirms that the initial assumptions were misplaced, and the team has urged fans to stop targeting the young Mercedes driver.
All eyes now on Abu Dhabi finale
The season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will determine whether Norris secures his first world title, whether Verstappen stages a dramatic comeback, or whether Piastri pulls off a shock.
Antonelli, meanwhile, will hope to put the unwanted attention behind him as he prepares for the final weekend of a highly scrutinised rookie campaign.
