Andrea Kimi Antonelli received more than 1100 abusive comments, including death threats and homophobic insults, after being accused of facilitating the overtaking of Mercedes monitors messages directed to the 19-year-old driver and prepares a formal complaint to Federação Internacional of Automobilismo (FIA). Red Bull, initially critical of the maneuver, issued an official statement regretting the attacks and apologized to the Italian.
The incident occurred on the penultimate lap, when Antonelli lost control of the car in turn 11 and was overtaken by Norris, who moved up from fifth to fourth place. The action earned the Briton from McLaren two extra points in the fight for the 2025 title. Max Verstappen won the race and reduced the gap in the championship to 12 points before the decision in Abu Dhabi.
—Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing)December 1, 2025
Red Bull changes speech after analysis of images
Helmut Marko, consultant for the Austrian team, had declared shortly after the race that Antonelli intentionally “gave way” to Norris twice. Engineer Gianpiero Lambiase also questioned the maneuver over the radio with Verstappen.
Hours later, Marko reviewed the onboard images and recognized the evaluation error. Red Bull released an official statement denying any deliberate action by the Mercedes pilot.
Mercedes records record volume of hate messages
The German team identified more than 1100 offensive comments on Antonelli’s social media. Outros 350 attacks were directed at Mercedes’s official profiles.
The messages include death threats, racist and homophobic insults. Antonelli temporarily removed his profile photo on one of the platforms.
The team management decided to compile all the material to present to the FIA. The case reinforces the teams’ concern about the digital security of drivers.
Team boss reactions and driver silence
Toto Wolff, head of Mercedes, condemned the initial accusations and defended the Italian debutant. The leader classified the treatment received by the 19-year-old as “unacceptable”.
Kimi Antonelli has not spoken publicly since the race ended. The pilot remains silent on social media after the episode.
Recent history increases pressure on freshman
Antonelli had already caused Verstappen to abandon the Áustria GP by touching the Dutchman’s rear wheel. The incident at the time also generated criticism from Red Bull.
In Catar, the Italian started in ninth and maintained his position in front of Norris for several laps until the error in turn 11. The maneuver was considered normal by track marshals.
FIA’s next steps in combating online hate
The federation has already opened similar investigations into previous cases of virtual abuse against drivers and officials. Mercedes awaits official positioning before the last stage of the championship.
- The entity may apply sanctions to identified accounts
- Clubs receive guidance to report threats immediately
- Educational campaigns have already been intensified in recent seasons
- Serious cases may result in banning from in-person events
The 2025 title decision takes place next Sunday (7) at Abu Dhabi. Verstappen needs a third place regardless of Norris’s result to guarantee the fifth championship.
Context of the fierce dispute in the Mundial of pilots
Norris reached Catar with a 25-point lead. The victory of Verstappen and the two extra points gained in overtaking Antonelli reduced the difference to 12 points.
A podium for the Dutchman in the last race guarantees the title even if the Brit wins. McLaren is still seeking its first drivers’ championship since 2008.
