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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKimi Antonelli has apologised to Max Verstappen after Abu Dhabi for what he believes cost him the title in Qatar. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKimi Antonelli has apologised to Max Verstappen after Abu Dhabi for what he believes cost him the title in Qatar. Image: XPB Images<\/p>\n
Verstappen had just won the season finale from pole but lost the title to Lando Norris by two points<\/a> \u2014 the same margin Norris gained when Antonelli ran wide in the closing laps at Lusail a week prior, allowing the McLaren through for fourth place.<\/p>\n Mercedes\u2019 strategy in Qatar had put Antonelli ahead of Norris for most of the race, but after defending for several laps he slipped up while pushing for a podium against Carlos Sainz.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter so many laps in dirty air, I\u2019m pushing so hard, the mistake arrived,\u201d Antonelli said after the penultimate race.<\/p>\n \u201cAt that moment I did a mistake and Lando passed me.\u201d<\/p>\n The teenager later admitted the backlash that followed \u201churt\u201d after enduring a torrent of online abuse, including death threats, with Mercedes confirming over 1100 \u201csevere or suspect\u201d comments were flagged across his accounts<\/a>.<\/p>\n The fallout intensified when Verstappen\u2019s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase questioned over team radio how Norris had made it through, with Helmut Marko echoing that sentiment after the race.<\/p>\n \t\tWin a 1:12 Erebus Motorsport #1 2024 Bathurst Winner from Authentic Collectables – Enter Now!<\/a><\/p>\n Both later walked back the implication that Antonelli had acted intentionally, and Red Bull issued a formal apology describing the initial suspicion as \u201cclearly incorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the paddock acknowledging the incident was simply a small error under pressure, Antonelli carried the guilt into the season finale.<\/p>\n After 58 laps in Abu Dhabi, he approached Verstappen in the media pen, embraced him and said, \u201cI\u2019m really sorry.\u201d Verstappen immediately dismissed the idea that the teenager owed him anything, replying: \u201cMate, don\u2019t be. It\u2019s all good. No hard feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n Max saying \u201cmate don\u2019t, it\u2019s all good, don\u2019t worry\u201d to kimi who\u2019s probably apologising omg \ud83d\ude1epic.twitter.com\/jcjQzak7fE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 zax (@maybezax) December 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The exchange, captured by Mercedes\u2019 social channels, showed no tension between the pair. Verstappen listened with a smile and shook Antonelli\u2019s hand before the two went their separate ways, offering a stark contrast to the online hostility the Italian has endured since Qatar.<\/p>\n While the two points from Lusail ultimately matched the title margin, several figures in the paddock stressed that the rookie\u2019s moment was not the decisive factor.<\/p>\n Mercedes boss Toto Wolff labelled any suggestion of intentional interference \u201cnonsense,\u201d adding: \u201cHe had a small moment. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n It was also noted that McLaren would have no doubt moved Norris ahead of Oscar Piastri in Abu Dhabi regardless, meaning the championship would not have hinged solely on the Qatar result.<\/p>\n Verstappen also dismissed other moments that were suggested as potential title deciders across the season, including a tense exchange with a journalist<\/a> in the post-race press conference after they implied his penalty for the collision with George Russell in Spain ultimately cost him the 2025 championship.<\/p>\n
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