Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen share post-race apology and embrace in Abu Dhabi. After the Qatar Grand Prix mistake, Kimi Antonelli apologizes to Max Verstappen.

The two friends spoke briefly in the mixed zone, where the Italian once again apologized for his error in Qatar.

A title decided by two points

Where, over the course of a season, can you find the two points that ultimately separated Lando Norris from Max Verstappen at the end of the year? It’s impossible to pinpoint in a season as long and intense as 2025, with 24 Grands Prix and six Sprint races, shaped by opposing trends between the first and second halves of the year. However, looking at the most recent events—specifically the penultimate Grand Prix of the 2025 season in Qatar—it’s hard not to notice that Lando Norris’s late overtake on Kimi Antonelli with just two laps remaining in Lusail handed the McLaren driver those exact two points that made all the difference in the championship standings.

Of course, these are purely arithmetic calculations that ignore context: it’s true that without those two points in Qatar, Lando Norris’s third place in Abu Dhabi wouldn’t have been enough. But equally, McLaren could have swapped Lando’s position with Oscar Piastri in the final Grand Prix and still secured the Englishman’s first career title. Nevertheless, the memory of that tiny lapse during the closing stages of the Lusail race stayed with Antonelli, who wanted to exchange a few words with Max Verstappen in the mixed zone after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

A special bond

It is now widely known that the two are close friends, and Max Verstappen has taken Kimi Antonelli under his protective wing. When Antonelli met the Red Bull champion in the mixed zone, his first priority was to apologize once again, feeling in some way responsible for Max narrowly missing the title. The Orange superstar immediately reassured Kimi: “Mate, you don’t have to. It’s all good, don’t worry,” the four-time world champion said amid the general commotion.

The two remained apart for a few more seconds, chatting privately before parting with a respectful farewell. It was a heartfelt gesture, showcasing the human character of both drivers, and hopefully putting to rest the shameful messages and online attacks directed at Antonelli over the past few days. Their interaction highlighted not only their friendship but also the sportsmanship and mutual respect that define true champions in Formula 1.

It was a classy gesture that highlighted the strong character of both drivers and should finally silence all the keyboard warriors who, in recent days, have flooded social media with disgraceful messages directed at Kimi Antonelli.