Mercedes welcomes Red Bull climbdown as Antonelli abuse overshadows Qatar fallout
Mercedes has publicly thanked Red Bull for correcting its narrative and condemning the torrent of abuse that hit Kimi Antonelli after the Qatar Grand Prix, where a late mistake from the teenager let Lando Norris slip past for fourth.
The incident mattered. Norris’ late gain nudged the title maths in his favor, leaving Max Verstappen with a bigger gap to chase going into Abu Dhabi. In the heat of that final stint, Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over team radio that Antonelli had “moved aside” for Norris; Helmut Marko doubled down post‑race by implying it was deliberate. Both positions didn’t survive a replay.
Red Bull issued a statement on Monday admitting as much, saying the claims were “clearly incorrect,” pointing to footage that showed Antonelli “momentarily losing control of his car.” The team added: “We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse.”
Abuse is putting it lightly. Antonelli, still just a teenager, was hit with vile messages and even death threats. He blacked out his social media profile pictures in the aftermath — a small, bleak window into what the last 48 hours looked like.
Mercedes responded to Red Bull’s clarification with appreciation rather than escalation. In the team’s Qatar debrief, strategic development director Simone Resta called the situation “quite disappointing,” and stressed that Mercedes takes online abuse “very seriously,” pointing to ongoing work with comms teams and platforms “to create a safe area for the fans to interact with the team.” On Red Bull’s statement, Resta added: “It was great to see on Monday… we really appreciated this one.”
There’s a subtext here that doesn’t need belaboring. McLaren runs Mercedes power, and conspiracy theories tend to bloom when championships tighten. But the insinuations — that Antonelli intentionally helped a rival brand-mate — didn’t stand up to scrutiny, and the blowback went well beyond the bounds of normal rivalry. Credit to Red Bull for correcting course. In a season that’s been edged with needle, this was the rare moment where the paddock reset the tone.
What remains is the racing. Qatar was a strategic win for Red Bull over McLaren, with Verstappen beating Oscar Piastri to the flag. Norris’ late pass on Antonelli kept his title hopes that bit healthier, while also nudging the Constructors’ picture into sharper focus heading to Yas Marina. McLaren lead the lot; behind them, Mercedes and Red Bull are locked in a fight for runner-up. Mercedes arrives in Abu Dhabi with a 33-point cushion over its old rival.
Inside Brackley, the message is to close the book on the noise and finish the job. “Kimi, the engineers, the team, we are all working very united to maximise our potential in Abu Dhabi,” said Resta. “Our objective is to finish P2 in the Constructors’ classification.”
As for Antonelli, this was a late error in an otherwise gritty drive, the kind of moment rookies endure and veterans remember. The sport is at its best when the arguments are about tenths and tactics, not character assassinations on social media. Red Bull’s retraction helps draw a line under a messy 24 hours. The rest of the talking can wait until the lights go out in Abu Dhabi.
