Undefeated this season in F1, the Mercedes AMG team will play big with its upgrade package planned for the Canadian Grand Prix: an update that, according to boss Toto Wolff, must work. Achtung!
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Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli continues to impress: at only 19 years old, he makes history in Formula 1 by becoming the first driver to convert his first three pole positions into wins.
He now leads the championship with a 20-point lead over his teammate George Russell, relegated to fourth place in the race more than 40 seconds behind the winner.
Rising momentum
The CEO of Formula 1, Stefano Domenicali, wanted to salute this meteoric rise: “Grand Prix after Grand Prix, Kimi proves his worth. The most impressive thing is that he is becoming more and more aware of it. And the higher you go, the thinner the air: you have to know how to breathe at these heights.”
Despite a strong upgrade package from McLaren in Miami, Antonelli managed to win without having the best car, as highlighted by the Italian press.
At Mercedes, Wolff acknowledged that his team was behind in Florida: “The car was not at the level of the upgrades brought by McLaren. A major update is coming in Canada. On paper, it’s easy to say we will be faster, but it has to be proven on track.”
He also emphasized Antonelli’s ongoing progress: “He is on the limit, but I prefer a driver who attacks too much than not enough.”
The Austrian boss, however, pointed out the poor starts: “It’s unacceptable if we want to win the world championship. It’s not the drivers’ fault, but the team’s. We have to fix this.”
Russell takes the hit
For his part, Russell is going through a tougher period: “It’s not pleasant. I want to beat him and he wants to beat me. It has been a difficult weekend, but I keep my head up. I haven’t lost any of my driving.”
The Brit also wanted to praise his young teammate: “You can’t underestimate him. He’s a fantastic driver, fast from day one.”
Wolff supported both his drivers: “There will always be ups and downs. They are both very good, and I’m happy to have them.”
Development race
At McLaren, Zak Brown warned that the development battle remains open: “We still have things in reserve, but so do the others. Mercedes brought nothing here, we’ll see in Canada.”
Finally, Max Verstappen admitted that Red Bull Racing’s progress was not enough in Miami: “Of course not. I finished 40 seconds behind: a spin doesn’t cost 40 seconds.”
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