Mercedes to Present ‘Death Threats’ Against Antonelli to FIA Following Qatar GP

Mercedes will present a collection of social media abuse and messages directed at Kimi Antonelli to the FIA after the rookie received a wave of online attacks following the Qatar Grand Prix.

Antonelli came under scrutiny after a penultimate lap mistake allowed Lando Norris to pass him for fourth. The move gave Norris two extra points and increased his championship lead over Max Verstappen to 12 heading into the Abu Dhabi finale.

Soon after the race, Antonelli changed his profile picture to a black image. His recent Instagram post has drawn strong support from fans, but it has also attracted harsh criticism. According to De Telegraaf, some of the messages escalated into “death threats”. Mercedes is treating the matter with full seriousness and intends to show the abusive comments to the FIA for review.

The situation was further inflamed when Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko claimed Antonelli had intentionally allowed Norris through. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff firmly rejected that suggestion, calling the stance “brainless.”

The team now hopes governing body involvement will help address the growing issue of abuse aimed at drivers online.

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Written by

James Rees

A passionate motorsport journalist from Wales, with over 30 years of love for the sport. A dedicated father of three, working as a content manager, covering the fast-paced world of Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula E, and IndyCar.

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