Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli expressed gratitude to Max Verstappen on Thursday after receiving online death threats following a mistake in the Qatar Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old misjudged the penultimate lap, allowing series leader Lando Norris of McLaren to pass him and claim fourth place, earning two crucial points in his title chase against Verstappen, who now leads by 12 points ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix .
The incident drew attention when Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase remarked on team radio that Antonelli "had just pulled over and let Norris through," prompting Red Bull consultant Helmut Marko to suggest a possible conspiracy against the team, comments Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff called "brainless."
