Kimi Antonelli says sorry to Max Verstappen after Abu Dhabi: how the Dutch champion responded. Andrea Kimi Antonelli apologizes to Max Verstappen after the Abu Dhabi GP.

Kimi Antonelli asked Max Verstappen for forgiveness after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — here is what the two drivers said to each other at the end of the race. The final round of the Championship delivered a moment filled with emotion between two key figures of this long and intense season. Right after the chequered flag, Andrea Kimi Antonelli apologized to Max Verstappen, most likely referring to what happened in Qatar. But before going further, it is worth taking a step back: what exactly happened?

Max Verstappen secured pole position at the Abu Dhabi circuit, fully aware that he needed a victory on Sunday to keep his hopes alive for a fifth consecutive world title. The Dutch driver made a lightning-fast start and immediately pulled away from title contenders Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Unfortunately for Max, the two McLaren drivers were not challenged by anyone, and Norris ultimately clinched his first Formula 1 World Championship by just two points.

The reason behind Antonelli’s apology most likely lies in his mistake during the penultimate round in Qatar. A small misjudgment made in the closing stages, while he was defending against the McLaren, allowed Norris to grab fourth place. Those two points, combined with the result in Abu Dhabi, ended up making the decisive difference in the final standings.

The Lusail incident had sparked controversy: over the radio, Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase had voiced doubts about the manoeuvre, while Helmut Marko had further fuelled the debate in the paddock. Even though it was simply a driving error, the footage — confirmed by Toto Wolff — did not prevent Kimi Antonelli from being overwhelmed by fierce online attacks, including hate messages and threats. Both the FIA and the Red Bull team later intervened to condemn what had happened.

Here are Antonelli’s exact words to Max Verstappen

Kimi Antonelli walked up to Max Verstappen and, after a long embrace, said: “I’m sorry, I am really sorry!” Max, showing the attitude of a true champion, immediately tried to comfort Antonelli, who seemed visibly shaken. “Buddy, don’t worry. Nothing happened. Everything is fine! No problem, it’s part of racing. Don’t stress!”