Thanks to a decisive strategy from Mercedes, Kimi Antonelli overturned the race in Miami and secured a new landmark victory in his young career.
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Kimi Antonelli’s triumph at the Miami Grand Prix is no accident. While the Mercedes driver impressed on track, he primarily highlights a key decision from his team: a perfectly executed early pit stop.
This strategy allowed the Italian to gain the advantage over Lando Norris, then the leader at that moment, thanks to an indirect overtake during the pit stops.
“The team made an incredible strategy, we pulled off a huge overtake in the pits and managed to bring the car to the finish,” he explains, praising the collective work behind this success.
A more complicated start to the race than expected
Starting from pole position, Antonelli did not have an ideal start to the race. Surprised by Charles Leclerc’s braking, he had to avoid contact, which cost him precious positions.
“The start wasn’t bad, a bit better than Saturday, but I didn’t expect Charles to brake so early, I had to avoid him and I locked the wheels,” he recounts.
After this episode, he had to deal with an eventful race, marked by several duels and delicate energy management.
A restarted and perfectly controlled race
Despite an error in his overtaking attempt on Leclerc, which caused him to lose a position to Norris, Antonelli stayed in touch thanks to a solid pace.
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“I made a mistake in energy management trying to overtake Charles, and I lost the position to Lando, but the pace was good and I stayed close,” he details.
Then the safety car intervention opened the door to Mercedes’ winning strategy. By anticipating his stop, Antonelli managed to take a decisive advantage over Norris.
A historic performance and a strong message
Once in the lead, Antonelli never relinquished control, resisting the pressure to claim a third consecutive victory. A historic feat, as he becomes the first driver to turn his first three pole positions into wins.
“This is just the beginning, the road is still long, but we are working very hard and the team is doing an incredible job,” he confides, aware of the journey ahead.
With this victory and a fourth place for George Russell, Antonelli extends his lead in the championship and further asserts his status as the new benchmark on the grid.
“I will enjoy this victory, then get back to work, because Canada is coming fast,” he concludes.
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