"Biased journalism that incites hatred": Former Red Bull academy driver reacts to Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk being shot dead

Former Red Bull test driver Antonio Felix da Costa slammed back at a news portal for claiming that Charlie Kirk was a radical figure. The 31-year-old was announced dead after he was shot by a gun at an event at Utah Valley University on September 10, leading people to share their take on the unexpected assassination of an activist in the United States.

Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a conservative organization, in 2012, and was on his American Comeback Tour, where he was at the "Prove Me Wrong" table at Utah Valley University. There, he was answering people's questions, when, suddenly, he was shot by a gunman in his neck.

The bullet wound led to his demise, leading a host of websites to report on the matter, along with Portuguese portal Expresso, as they shared on X:

Expresso

@expresso

American radical right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

However, Antonio Felix da Costa was upset with the way that the portal had reported the news, as he wrote in his reply:

"Radical? He only defended Christianity and a simple life, like getting married and having children. I increasingly believe that the ‘blame’ for people with different views hating each other so much nowadays comes from bad journalism — biased journalism that incites hatred."

Antonio Felix da Costa

@afelixdacosta

@expresso Radical? Ele só defendia o cristianismo e uma vida simples, como casar e ter filhos. Acredito cada vez mais que a ‘culpa’ de as pessoas com visões diferentes se odiarem tanto hoje em dia vem do mau jornalismo — um jornalismo parcial que incita ao ódio.

On the other hand, Da Costa races for Porsche in the Formula E series. But, before that, he moved over from various teams and was once a part of the Red Bull fray of drivers.

However, despite becoming a test driver for the squad in 2012, his move to F1 never materialised as the Austrian giant was content with its driver lineup. Since then, the team has scored multiple championships and race victories, with their last race win coming in at the Italian GP.

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Red Bull had a strong day out at the Italian GP

Red Bull's Max Verstappen after winning the 2025 F1 Grand Prix of Italy - Source: Getty

The Italian GP became the venue for Max Verstappen's portrayal of excellence. The Dutchman secured the fastest average qualifying speed over a lap on Saturday and one-upped this on Sunday as he completed the race in 1:13:24.325, almost a minute faster than the previous record.

Reflecting on his impressive pace, the four-time champion said (via Red Bull):

"We were flying. The car was really enjoyable. Just a fantastic execution by everyone, by the whole Team. I think the whole weekend we were on it. And yeah, it’s super enjoyable to win here."

While Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies shared glaring admiration for his driver, as he said (via F1's official website):

"Max redefined what perfection is today and this weekend in general. It was a difficult first lap and he kept very cool and managed to do the overtaking on track and then to dominate the race. Monza is very specific in terms of layout and the Team have done an amazing job to get, fundamentally, the fastest car on track here, then combine that with Max's magic and the result is today’s win."

The Milton Keynes-based squad is now gearing up for the next F1 race, which will be held at the Baku street circuit in Azerbaijan, on September 21.