Max Verstappen’s warm reaction to Kimi Antonelli apology is lifeline after Qatar abuse continues

Captured on Mercedes’ social channels, Verstappen’s warm response to Antonelli’s apology stands in stark contrast to the death threats and toxic messages that have followed the Italian since Qatar

A moment between Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will hopefully bring to an end the online abuse the Mercedes rookie has been receiving since his mistake during the Qatar Grand Prix.

In a video shared by the Mercedes F1 social media team, the young driver can be seen approaching the four-time champion following the title-deciding race. The two shake hands as Antonelli apologises for the mistake he made in last weekend's race once again - a mistake that let now-Formula 1 champion Lando Norris win by two points.

Verstappen listens with a smile on his face before shrugging off the episode with a smile as the two shake hands again. There is clearly no tension between the drivers.

The drama began at Losail, when Antonelli was chasing Carlos Sainz for the final podium position of the Qatar Grand Prix. After several laps in the dirty air of the Williams, he ran out of grip on the penultimate lap and went wide, letting Norris sweep through and capture fourth place and two extra points in his championship fight with the Dutchman.

"After so many laps in dirty air, I'm pushing so hard, the mistake arrived, because I obviously every lap I was pushing a bit more and more to get closer and I arrived to the point where the tyre gave up. At that moment I did a mistake and Lando passed me," he said. "Then after the race, to receive those kind of comments, definitely it hurt."

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Mercedes

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

This error drew criticism from Red Bull as the team briefly believed it to be a purposeful move to allow Norris through, but these comments were quickly apologised for. Despite this, the abuse from fans of the championship was rife on social media.

Mercedes revealed that more than 1100 "severe or suspect" comments - several of them death threats - were flagged across Antonelli's social media accounts. And while Red Bull issued a formal statement confirming its accusations were incorrect, as well as comments mirroring this from across the paddock, the abuse continued into this weekend.

Following the Abu Dhabi race, the Italian was forced to turn comments off once again due to further abuse.