Victory in Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix should have been the only story for Kimi Antonelli. Instead, the Mercedes driver directed the spotlight on a persistent flaw.
The 19-year-old Italian stormed to a third consecutive Formula 1 win at the Miami Grand Prix, extending his championship lead and reinforcing his status as the sport’s rising force.
Yet when the helmet came off, the celebration gave way to self-criticism – sharp, immediate, and unmistakable.
Antonelli’s race looked compromised the moment the lights went out. Starting from pole, he hesitated just enough to surrender the lead into Turn 1, swallowed by a faster-launching Charles Leclerc.
Lights out still an issue
Once again, a sluggish launch off the line had forced him into a recovery drive rather than a controlled race from pole. It was a familiar weakness – one he openly acknowledged.
“Today, to be fair, was not as bad. I think I lost two places. [In the] Sprint, I lost six. A little bit better,” he joked.
“But still, it’s not acceptable. I think, especially in a weekend like this, that the gaps are a lot closer, it can really change the race.
“I think it’s a point where also together with the team, because yesterday, for example, in the Sprint, procedure-wise was good, but just the grip level that we thought there was just not there.
“I think also with the team, but for sure mainly from me, because I’m still a little bit inconsistent, especially on clutch drop, but I still don’t have that confidence on being consistent with that.
“I still have a bit of uncertainty, so it’s a big point that needs to be improved. But I think today, I managed it better than yesterday.”
From there, the race became a test of composure. Antonelli battled back into contention, going wheel-to-wheel with Lando Norris while carefully managing both tyres and pressure.
Keeping cool under pressure
The defining difference from Saturday’s Sprint wasn’t just pace – it was mindset.
“Yesterday, I was very frustrated, and today, I just kept it a bit cool, a bit better, and just managed to move on and focus about the race,” he explained.
That calm proved decisive. Even as late-race technical issues threatened to unravel his charge, Antonelli held firm. Gearbox troubles crept in at the worst possible moment, disrupting his rhythm in the closing laps.
Still, he endured, controlling the race when it mattered most and securing victory despite the complications.
Three wins in a row would be enough for many drivers to bask in momentum. Antonelli, instead, dissected his performance with clinical honesty.
The slow starts remain a concern – not just a technical glitch, but a psychological hurdle he admits he has yet to fully conquer. And in a tightening championship battle, he knows it could prove costly.
Yet Miami also revealed something equally important: growth. Where frustration once dominated, composure now prevails. Where mistakes once spiraled, they are now managed.
The result? Another win – and a 20-point cushion in the Drivers’ Championship. But if Antonelli’s own assessment is anything to go by, the most dangerous part of his rise isn’t the victories.
It’s the fact he’s still not satisfied.
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