Kimi Antonelli's father pens emotional message after the Mercedes driver received death threats over Qatar GP controversy 

Kimi Antonelli's father has shared an emotional message on social media after his son was sent death threats by F1 fans following events at the Qatar Grand Prix. Red Bull's senior members had accused the Mercedes rookie of intentionally letting Lando Norris through on the final lap of the race.

Norris was stuck behind Antonelli after his second pit stop on lap 42 of 57. The championship leader just wasn't able to overtake the rookie and would've finished in P5. That would've reduced his championship lead over race winner Max Verstappen to 10 points.

However, on the final lap, Kimi Antonelli made a mistake going into Turn 10 and went wide, allowing Lando Norris to easily pass him for P4. As per The Guardian, Verstappen's race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, informed the Dutchman on team radio that Antonelli had seemingly allowed Norris to pass, insinuating fishy business in the drivers' championship battle.

Red Bull director Helmut Marko had the same sentiment, and after the race, he accused Antonelli of helping Norris. What followed was a barrage of hate for the 19-year-old Mercedes driver on social media, including death threats.

On Tuesday, 2 December, Kimi Antonelli's father, Marco Antonelli, shared a heartfelt message for those who supported his son during this unfortunate situation. In an Instagram post, he wrote:

"Thanks to all the people who write to me to support Kimi, he knows that these people who write these things don’t deserve to be considered and will be the first to ask for his autograph if they meet him. It’s not the first time this has happened and unfortunately it won’t be the last, until the law punishes these people who write threats and insults on social media. It’s those who love him who are important and are more than others. Your FAMILY is always with you. WE LOVE YOU KIMI ❤️❤️❤️"

A day after the race, Red Bull issued an apology for the accusations made by Lambiase and Marko, which was received well by Mercedes. Toto Wolff had shared after the race that Lambiase had apologized for making the controversial comment.

On Monday, Helmut Marko also retracted his statement after reviewing the footage of the moment Kimi Antonelli made the mistake that let Norris secure P4, and apologized for the hate the 19-year-old faced on social media.

FIA issues statement to condemn abuse directed at Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli at the F1 Qatar Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Mercedes complied 1000+ hate messages that they received on social media after Kimi Antonelli's Qatar GP controversy and sent it to the FIA. The 19-year-old Italian racer had blacked out his profile picure on social media after enduring extreme abuse.

On Monday, the FIA stood with Antonelli and issued a stern statement against online abuse. It read (via FIA's X):

"The FIA, and its United Against Online Abuse campaign, condemns abuse and harassment in any form. It remains absolutely critical that everyone operating within our sport can do so in a safe and respectful environment. We stand in support of Kimi Antonelli and urge the wider community, online and offline, to treat drivers, teams, officials and the whole sporting ecosystem with the respect and compassion that they deserve."

Antonelli's mistake at the Qatar GP played a crucial role in the championship battle. Because Lando Norris finished in P4 instead of P5, he earned two more points and leads Max Verstappen by 12 points instead of 10, with only one race remaining in the season, the Abu Dhabi GP.