Verstappen says he’s ‘not upset’ with Antonelli over title-deciding Qatar GP crash

Verstappen Addresses Qatar GP Controversy Involving Kimi Antonelli

Max Verstappen has publicly stated he is “not upset” about Kimi Antonelli’s costly mistake at the 2025 Qatar Grand Prix, an error that ultimately cost the four-time world champion a fifth consecutive title. Speaking to Swiss outlet Blick, the Red Bull driver reflected on one of the season’s most controversial moments with grace, putting the matter to rest more than a month after the incident sparked online abuse and forced an apology from his own team.

“Kimi unfortunately made a mistake there that ultimately played a major role,” Verstappen said. “But mistakes are part of our sport, especially when you’re fighting on the limit and an opponent in the best car is right behind you. It’s a shame that Kimi slid too wide under pressure, but that can happen. I’m not upset about it.”gpfans

The Incident That Decided a Championship

The Qatar Grand Prix on November 30, 2025, proved pivotal in the title fight. On lap 56, Antonelli, then fighting in dirty air behind Carlos Sainz’s Williams, lost control through Turn 9 and ran wide at the following corner, allowing McLaren’s Norris to sweep past for fourth place. The two points Norris gained from that position proved decisive: he won the championship by exactly that margin at the Abu Dhabi finale.abc

The aftermath turned ugly when Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested over team radio that Antonelli had “just pulled over and let Lando through.” Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko escalated the situation by telling reporters it was “obvious” Antonelli had “waved” Norris by.espn

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff dismissed the allegations as “total, utter nonsense.” The 19-year-old Italian rookie faced severe consequences, receiving more than 1,100 “severe or suspect” comments—including death threats—across his social media accounts, prompting him to change his Instagram profile picture to black.indiatoday

Red Bull’s Apology and Private Support

Red Bull issued a formal retraction the day after the race, stating their comments were “clearly incorrect” and that “replay footage shows Antonelli momentarily losing control of his car.” Lambiase personally apologized to both Wolff and Antonelli after being shown footage of the incident he had not seen during the race.espn

Behind the scenes, Verstappen contacted Antonelli directly. “He was supportive and very kind,” Antonelli later revealed. “But I can’t say exactly what he said, because there were a lot of bad words in there. He mainly said: don’t worry about these kinds of people, because they’re brainless.”autoracing1

At Abu Dhabi, cameras captured Antonelli approaching Verstappen after the title-deciding race, embracing him and saying, “I’m really sorry.” Verstappen dismissed the apology warmly, replying, “Mate, don’t. It’s all good.”yahoo

Looking Ahead

Verstappen, who overcame a 104-point deficit to finish just two points behind Norris, now turns his attention to reclaiming the title in 2026 under sweeping new regulations. The Dutchman has shown no lingering resentment toward Antonelli, instead directing criticism at social media platforms for enabling anonymous abuse.crash

“Whatever he says doesn’t mean you can insult someone,” Verstappen said of Marko’s initial comments. “It’s a problem with social media, where people can create accounts without a real name. That’s the problem.”autoracing1