Kimi Antonelli keeps writing F1 records and passed his toughest test in Miami

Kimi Antonelli celebrates his Miami Grand Prix win on Sunday Chris Graythen/Getty Images Share articleMIAMI GARDENS, Fl. — In the days leading up to the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, Kimi Antonelli confronted questions about the pressure he faced. Italy hadn’t had a Formula 1 race winner in two decades, since Giancarlo Fisichella emerged victorious in the 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix, and hadn’t had a repeat race winner in more than 70 years, since two-time world champion Alberto Ascari. “I’m aware of what’s happening, but I’m not trying to focus too much on that or worry,” Antonelli, 19, said when asked during Thursday’s news conference if he felt the burden. “At the end, it’s still a very long season, a lot of races left. And I know on my side I just need to keep raising the bar. I have a super-strong team-mate, George (Russell), who is super quick, very complete. And then the competitors will get closer and closer.” Three days later, Italy boasts a three-peat grand prix winner, as Antonelli completed a hat trick of converting pole positions to victories across the last three races. The Mercedes driver managed to fend off reigning world champion Lando Norris throughout the closing stages of the Miami GP, while seemingly battling nerves in the car. It’s another test passed for Antonelli, who is only in his second F1 season. He didn’t nail the start (a recurring issue this season) and needed to fight back for the lead — and then avoid mistakes when defending. He’s now the first F1 driver ever to consecutively win their first three races from their first three pole positions. And he leads the championship with 100 points after a 28-point haul in Miami. “Kimi, that was really impressive,” team principal Toto Wolff said over the radio. “Very impressive, from the beginning to the end.” He commented on the starts before adding, “Your driving, that was really good. And you know I like to complain, but there’s nothing to complain (about) today.” Antonelli described his race as one that “had a bit of everything.” The sport was coming off a five-week break due to the Iran War, which led to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GPs. Yet, Antonelli picked up where he left off. McLaren’s Norris may have secured pole and the sprint victory, but the Mercedes driver was able to recover his Saturday. His first flying lap in Q3 was enough to seal that prime starting spot, but there was one major obstacle that faced him — the race start. Antonelli has struggled to get off the line well this season, losing out multiple spots at a time. And Sunday was no different. “To be fair, it was not as bad,” he said with a smile, looking up as he counted. “I think I lost two places. Sprint, I lost six, so a little bit better, but still, it’s not acceptable. Especially in a weekend like this, where the gaps are a lot closer, it can really change the race.” Both Wolff and Antonelli discussed grip level at the start. The driver said, “The grip level that we thought there was was just not there.” Wolff said during his media session that Saturday and Sunday were “a team mistake,” adding, “We’re not doing a good enough job in giving them a tool in their hands” and that they need to “dig even deeper and to try to understand how we can fix that.” Yet, Mercedes is leading the championship by 68 points. Antonelli, though, admitted his confidence just isn’t there yet, noting how he’s been a bit inconsistent. But he does feel he handled it better emotionally. The poor sprint race start frustrated him, but with Sunday’s start, he said, “I just kept it a bit cool, a bit better, and just managed to move on and focus about the rest.” As the grid barrelled down towards Turn 1, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Antonelli nearly went three-wide, and the Mercedes driver went off the track to avoid contact. When he rejoined, Verstappen spun, and Antonelli zipped past, setting his sights on Leclerc. The Mercedes driver largely battled Leclerc and Norris throughout the race, whether it be attacking or defending. Antonelli passed Norris on Lap 28 and definitively took the lead a lap later from Verstappen. But Norris wasn’t far behind, plucking off the Dutchman before focusing on Antonelli. “It was very stressful because he was also sometimes on the edge of getting (it) so many times, the overtake mode,” Antonelli said about having Norris behind him. “We know how powerful that is and I just knew I couldn’t make any mistakes. And it was not easy because the conditions were tricky today, with the rain that kind of cleaned a bit the rubber that was on track, and it was very slippery.” On Lap 33, Antonelli reported a gearbox-related issue, but he said post-race that it only lasted a few laps, but it added stress. When listening to his team radio, you could hear the edge in his voice. On Lap 37, he reported that his rear tires were gone, but race engineer Peter Bonnington, who used to be Lewis Hamilton’s engineer at Mercedes, calmly reminded him that “it’s just temp,” meaning the tires were okay. Bonnington guided him on how to do better exits at corners over the next several laps, and by Lap 40, Antonelli appeared to have calmed down. “Bono has learned from the greats, from (Michael) Schumacher to Hamilton for many years, then now to Kimi, and he’s been a good mentor to him, but also a strong boss,” Wolff explained. “There’s a few times today when (Antonelli) had two strikes with the track limits, I said to Bono, ‘One more, and I’m going to go on the radio.’ He said, ‘No, no, you leave that to me,’ and that shows…he just knows how to handle it.” Antonelli wore his heart on his sleeve as he crossed the finish line, expressing his enthusiasm. He jumped over the barriers in parc ferme to celebrate with the Mercedes team members before going to hug his parents and sister. And as he took off his helmet and balaclava, multiple drivers — including Verstappen, Franco Colapinto and both Cadillac drivers — came up to hug him. It’s a significant feat in just his second F1 season. Verstappen only won one race in his second F1 season, though that was his first with Red Bull. Leclerc only won two in his second campaign (his first with Ferrari). And the only drivers to take their first three wins consecutively are Damon Hill (who did it in his second season), Mika Häkkinen and Antonelli. And comes in a year where his teammate, Russell, was anticipated to be the championship favorite by the bookies. Twenty points now separate the Mercedes teammates after the race weekend, and he didn’t expect to be here, even if it’s still early in the season. “We’re living such a good moment. But as I said before, it’s still a very long season and there’s so many things that can change,” Antonelli said. “George for sure is going to be super strong in Canada, he’s always been very strong there, so he’s for sure going to be back at the top. “But I think I feel much more comfortable in the car, much more in control as well. And I think we’re just going to keep trying our best. I’m going to try to maximize every time I go on track.” Antonelli is riding a high right now, with three wins, four podiums and three poles under his belt to start the year. He’s recovering from mistakes that are made, whether it be his own or a potential team issue. Wolff said the easy part with Antonelli is ensuring both of his feet stay on the ground, while “the bigger problem is the Italian public” and containing that pressure. “When you look throughout his trajectory, in karting and in the junior formulas, he was just outstanding,” Wolff said when talking about Antonelli’s development. “When you think about what we said last year, it’s exactly how he’s performed and how he’s developed. We have these great ups and moments of brilliance, and then moments where he was allowed to make mistakes. “We needed to calibrate and continue to enter him while standing pressure on him. But he just takes it so well.” It’s still early for Antonelli — both this season and in his F1 career. There’s still 18 races to go. But Wolff pointed out that given how the season and his career have progressed thus far, “such a success for such a young man at that stage, all of Italy will be on him.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms