Mercedes Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli has been subjected to a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, following a controversial incident at the Qatar Grand Prix. The 19-year-old rookie was forced to black out his Instagram profile in response to the vile trolling directed at him after the race on Sunday, 1st December 2025.
The Incident That Sparked the Abuse
The wave of hostility was triggered by a late-race error from Antonelli. On the penultimate lap of the Grand Prix, the young Italian made a mistake that allowed McLaren's Lando Norris to overtake him. This resulted in Antonelli finishing in fifth place, with Norris taking fourth.
This single position change had significant implications for the championship battle. Norris scored 12 points for fourth place instead of the 10 points for fifth. Consequently, Red Bull's Max Verstappen now trails by 12 points heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi, making his title defence considerably more difficult.
Red Bull Comments Fuel the Fire
The situation escalated when key figures from the Red Bull team publicly commented on Antonelli's error. Seconds after the overtake, Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, said over team radio, "I am not sure what happened to Antonelli there. It looked like he just pulled over and let Lando through."
After the race, the team's influential adviser, Helmut Marko, compounded the issue by stating it was "so obvious" that Antonelli had allowed Norris to pass without a challenge. These remarks were widely interpreted as suggesting the Mercedes driver had acted deliberately to aid Norris in the title fight.
Mercedes Fury and the Toll of Trolling
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff was incensed by the allegations, particularly Marko's comment. Wolff labelled the suggestion "total, utter nonsense that blows my mind" and called his fellow Austrian "brainless." He did, however, speak directly with Lambiase to clear the air regarding the radio message.
The fallout from the comments was severe and personal for Antonelli. It is understood that more than 1,100 hate-fuelled comments were sent directly to the teenager's personal social media accounts. A further 330 abusive remarks were identified on official Mercedes channels. Disturbingly, many of these messages contained threats of death or physical harm.
In response to the deluge of abuse, Antonelli changed his Instagram profile picture to a solid black square, a stark visual protest against the trolling.
How the Teams Are Responding
Mercedes is taking decisive action to support their driver. The Brackley-based team is preparing to submit all the gathered evidence of abusive posts to the FIA, Formula 1's governing body. The FIA runs the 'United Against Online Abuse' initiative, designed to combat such behaviour in the sport.
Red Bull issued a statement on Monday, 2nd December. While the team did not directly apologise for the comments made by Lambiase and Marko, it expressed regret. The statement said, "We sincerely regret that this has led to Kimi receiving online abuse," and admitted it was "clearly incorrect" to imply Antonelli had deliberately ceded the position to Norris.
The scandal highlights the intense pressure and toxic online environment faced by modern F1 drivers, particularly young talents, and raises urgent questions about the responsibility of teams in mitigating fan backlash.
