Kimi Antonelli’s late mistake in the Qatar Grand Prix has triggered a lot of criticism from the fanbase. Reportedly, Max Verstappen has now stepped in privately to de-escalate the situation.In the final stint of the race, Antonelli was defending against Lando Norris in fourth while managing worn-out tires. After chasing for over six laps, the McLaren driver eventually found a way through when the Mercedes drifted wide at Turn 10. Norris extended his lead in the title fight, as Verstappen closed the gap with a win.That move became one of the central moments of the Qatar weekend, especially as Red Bull raised a complaint suggesting Antonelli had moved intentionally, and Helmut Marko addressed it publicly. When the footage was reviewed, they retracted the claim and apologized.However, the damage was already done. Antonelli was targeted heavily and received death threats as he set his social media accounts to private. An Analisi Tecnica report has stated that Verstappen demanded a formal apology from Red Bull:"It was Max Verstappen who intervened directly on the issue: the four-time world champion, according to information in our possession and as confirmed by our friend Leo Turrini, has demanded that Red Bull publicly apologize to his great friend Kimi."Max Verstappen, who shares a close friendship with Kimi Antonelli, reportedly felt that the situation needed correction given the backlash the 18-year-old was facing. The Italian clarified that it was his mistake and that there was no intention behind the lost position.Mercedes escalated the matter to the FIA, which issued a strong statement through its United Against Online Abuse program, condemning the harassment and calling for respect across the paddock. Their message called for the community to protect competitors and maintain a safe environment around the young Mercedes driver, who finished fifth while managing a difficult end to the race.Toto Wolff defends Kimi Antonelli as title fight goes down to the wireAndrea Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes and Toto Wolff at the Baku City Circuit. Source: GettyThe Qatar result has set up a grand stand finish in the title battle with one race to go. Lando Norris left the weekend still in the lead, Max Verstappen cut the margin to 12 points, and Oscar Piastri remains in striking range. Kimi Antonelli’s slip therefore carried weight for three different battles, including Mercedes’ push to stay ahead of Red Bull in the constructors’ standings by 33 points.The apologies clarified that Antonelli had made an error, but Toto Wolff moved quickly to defend his driver. He said, via F1's official website:"It annoys me, because I'm annoyed with the race itself, how it went. I'm annoyed with the mistake at the end. I'm annoyed with other mistakes, and then hearing such nonsense blows my mind... The other thing is that, beyond losing the points for the Constructors' Championship, I spoke to GP (Gianpiero Lambiase). I saw him and obviously he was emotional in that moment."Wolff also reminded that Mercedes was fighting for valuable points and that Kimi Antonelli was pushing hard for his own result when the off-line moment occurred. The Italian driver has since restored his Instagram profile picture and reopened his account. However, many fans remain unsatisfied with Red Bull’s apology.