Red Bull has apologized to Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli after he made a defamatory comment about him in the closing moments of the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday 30 November. Max Verstappen’s race engineer had a cheeky comment about Antonelli, who was overtaken by Lando Norris on the penultimate lap of the race. Speaking to Verstappen, engineer Gianpiero Lambiase noted that Antonelli appeared to have let Lando pass, giving the British driver two extra points in the race.
Red Bull’s 82-year-old motorsport consultant Helmut Marko later doubled down on the observation, telling reporters that it was clear that Antonelli had “more or less waved off Lando” for fourth on the penultimate lap.
The television commentators heard the remark and dismissed it as an innocent error by an engineer who may not have noticed that Antonelli had spun out at one of the corners during the race.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff reacted strongly, accusing fellow Austrian Mark of talking “total, utter nonsense” and immediately and unequivocally shutting down any rumours. On Monday, Red Bull moved to calm the situation after it emerged that Antonelli, who is just 19, had faced abuse following comments on social media.
“Comments made before and immediately after the Qatar GP suggesting that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli deliberately allowed Lando Norris to overtake him are patently incorrect,” Red Bull said in an official statement.
“The replay shows that Antonelli momentarily lost control of his car, allowing Norris to overtake him. We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi being abused online,” the statement concluded.
The overtake meant Norris, whose car has a Mercedes engine, heads into the final round in Abu Dhabi 12 points clear of Verstappen instead of 10th.
Antonelli later explained the incident as a mistake caused by dirty air while tracking the Williams of Carlos Sainz, who also runs a Mercedes power unit. He said he nearly crashed as a result of the moment.
“I pushed hard to stay ahead of Norris in the closing stages and unfortunately I pushed a bit too much. I got out of shape at turn nine and then had a massive oversteer,” said the Italian rookie.
F1 season pack for an exciting finish
The 2025 Formula 1 championship is heading for a dramatic climax with three drivers still fighting for the title as the season reaches its final race in Abu Dhabi on Sunday 7 December. Lando Norris, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri remain locked in a three-way battle, each with a real chance of being crowned world champion at the Yas Marina circuit.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
December 1, 2025
