Who slept best last night: Kimi Antonelli

Dear readers,

Three consecutive wins for the young Italian from Mercedes at the start of the season – not many had expected that.

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Well, in China he only had to beat George Russell, and Russell had a problem in qualifying. This win was of course not gifted to Kimi Antonelli. And yet: When the Silver Arrows dominate with such a lead and the teammate struggles with adversity, a driver from a top team should be able to seize such an opportunity, right?

Japan is a completely different story, with a timely safety car. If it hadn’t appeared so conveniently for Antonelli during a race that threatened to become difficult for him after a poor start, he wouldn’t be leading the championship after Suzuka. Yes, he also took that chance and looked very convincing in the final part of the race. Nevertheless, there was enough fodder for the envious and doubters.

A bit of luck, clearly the best car on the grid, some bad luck for Russell – and you have enough elements to downplay Antonelli’s wins in Asia in March.

However, it is hard to fault his performance in Miami. McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull came to the USA with major upgrades, and it was no longer Russell who seemed to be Antonelli’s main competitor. More than that: The Italian was not only better than his teammate throughout the weekend, he even had a clear advantage over Russell.

George Russell stands in the shadow of his young teammate

Do you still remember that Russell was almost unquestionably considered a title favorite before the season? Well, if anyone still thought that before Miami, they might have to revise their opinion.

In Miami, it almost seemed as if he had to look for excuses. Yes, the fact that the competitors were able to almost completely eliminate Mercedes’ pace advantage with a single upgrade package came as a bit of a surprise. However, Antonelli showed that there is still enough speed in the W17 to fight for the win. But the cushion is now gone, at least until Mercedes brings its own upgrade of the car in Canada.

F1 Miami: Sunday Analysis

And given the Silver Arrows’ performances in Montreal in recent years, they could dominate there again. But Miami has shown that the entire 2026 season will probably not be a walk in the park for Mercedes. Toto Wolff still needs his drivers to make the difference. And that difference was not made by Russell in Miami.

Admittedly, his reasoning is understandable: Russell also struggled in Miami last year. On Saturday, however, he revealed details about his weaknesses that were not generally known until now.

“This is a track I have always struggled with,” he said. “Kimi was on sprint pole last year, I was P5. Today he is on pole and I am P5. There is just very little grip here, you slide around a lot, the asphalt is hot. Similar to Brazil, where Kimi was also more competitive than me. While I prefer conditions with a lot of grip, where the tire and car are better connected to the ground. So yes, I just want to get this weekend over with.”

While the theory is correct and Antonelli did indeed look stronger in Sao Paulo last year, it is nothing less than impressive that he exposes this weakness of Russell so clearly after just over a year in Formula 1.

Antonelli was not given anything in Miami

On Sunday, Antonelli had to fight for his win like never before. Charles Leclerc made life difficult for him in the early stages, and then Lando Norris chased him throughout the entire second stint. He had to remain flawless – and he did.

It is still far too early to declare the young Italian a title favorite, and it is clear that he will try to distance himself as much as possible from such thoughts. But both are quite difficult, as Antonelli’s lead in the championship has now grown to 20 points.

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Photo gallery: The last 25 World Championship leaders in Formula 1

“That’s the risk that he takes off too quickly,” Toto Wolff said during his media round on Sunday evening, addressing not only the journalists in the room but also Kimi’s father. “And that’s why I know from the parents that they will keep him grounded. Right, Marco?” “Right, right,” smiled Antonelli Senior.

“I find it amazing,” Wolff continued. “I think these first races are in a way what we predicted as a team: that we would have highs and lows last season, moments of brilliance and moments where you want to tear your hair out. And this year it’s coming together.”

“I don’t think any of us expected this streak. Given that the car is very good, an engine that fits… But how he has managed to turn that into results every week, that’s something special,” said Wolff.

Keeping both feet on the ground now seems to be Antonelli’s biggest challenge. The speed that prompted Wolff in recent years to accelerate the Italian’s rise to Formula 1 is now obvious and undeniable. The ability to handle pressure is also becoming clear. That was not only the case last Sunday. It was already clearly visible last year in Brazil when Antonelli had to defend against Max Verstappen in the final phase.

How can the youngster handle the pressure

Now the youngster has to back that up with consistency. Three wins in a row are very impressive, but so far this season not much has gone wrong for him. There will be races where he has to overcome adversity.

“If you look at his career in karting and the junior categories, he was simply outstanding,” Wolff said on Sunday. “If you think about what we said last year, that exactly matches his performance, how his development has gone. We had these big highs, moments of brilliance and then moments where he was allowed to make mistakes. We had to calibrate him and continue to support him while at the same time putting him under pressure.”

“He just brushes it off. He is able to analyze it but then not think too much about it. He puts it in perspective: ‘Okay, I made a mistake, I check it off.’ And then, boom, we start the season this year: He has seen the Grands Prix, he has worked with the team, he knows the pressure the media put on him…”

“But still, we really have to stay calm here. Such success for such a young man at this stage. The family and we, we really are…” Wolff again addressed Antonelli Senior.

“You’re actually the first one who needs to calm down! Marco is pretty good at keeping his son grounded, even when he wins. And I think all of us together, who are close to him, have to keep emphasizing and repeating the message. This is a long-term game. He has a killer teammate who is extremely fast. The others are catching up in performance. And we want to plan long-term.”

“Hopefully he can win many championships over ten, 15 years. And we don’t want to stumble now over these huge expectations we place on him. Because the moment he has a bad race – which will happen – if he makes a mistake, people will say: ‘Oh, maybe Kimi is not the superstar we thought he was.’ And that’s why – let’s keep this path.”

“He is 19 years old. I don’t think I was able to take my own flight and find the way to the terminal at the airport at 19. So it’s incredible what he’s doing.”

Oscar Piastri didn’t really cope with the pressure of leading the championship last year – which shows how difficult it is to stay cool when the title is at stake.

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Can Antonelli do better?

Yours,
Oleg Karpow