Kimi Antonelli produces gutsy drive to hold off Norris and win F1 Miami GP

Antonelli claims third win of the season with Piastri third Mercedes driver extends championship lead to 20 points The margins were fine but ultimately it was a champion’s composure that won the day for Kimi Antonelli at the Miami Grand Prix. The teenager cannot legally buy a drink in the US yet but by the end of what was a gripping run to the flag the Italian had most assuredly earned a stiffener. Still 19 years old and in only his second season in Formula One, Antonelli’s calmness to see off immense pressure from McLaren’s Lando Norris, who hounded him to the finish, was his best performance in a run that has seen him take three consecutive pole positions and three consecutive wins in these opening four rounds. Continue reading... The margins were fine but ultimately it was a champion’s composure that won the day for Kimi Antonelli at the Miami Grand Prix.

The teenager cannot legally buy a drink in the US yet but by the end of what was a gripping run to the flag the Italian had most assuredly earned a stiffener. Still 19 years old and in only his second season in Formula One, Antonelli’s calmness to see off immense pressure from McLaren’s Lando Norris , who hounded him to the finish, was his best performance in a run that has seen him take three consecutive pole positions and three consecutive wins in these opening four rounds. “Kimi, that was really impressive, really impressive,” said his Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, who is not given to unnecessary hyperbole, and it was. Wolff had fast-tracked him into a Mercedes seat last season and the kid has returned the compliment by delivering on his promise. The road is still long,” Antonelli said.

Norris’s McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, was third, with Max Verstappen delivering a very strong comeback for Red Bull to take fifth after a spin on the opening lap. In the opening three rounds Mercedes had enjoyed a dominant car and while Antonelli had to work for those wins, at Suzuka and Shanghai, he enjoyed a pace advantage that ultimately proved unassailable. The win, then, was very much earned and this was further confirmation, were it needed, that the Mercedes remains at the head of the field, at least in Antonelli’s hands, while Russell, the pre-season favourite, now sorely needs to reassert his authority on a title fight in which Antonelli has bossed the last three rounds. Mercedes, in turn, will be buoyed that they sealed a win while having their major development to the car still to come at the next round in Canada after having ensured they remain undefeated in grands prix this season. His race in Miami and previous rounds this season have demonstrated that given the opportunity to compete at the sharp end with a strong car, Antonelli has stepped up with extraordinary control.

Indeed this was not a cakewalk under the lowering skies in Miami where storm warnings had brought the race start time forward by three hours and ensured it was run without a drop hitting the track. After Antonelli had lost the lead off the line to Charles Leclerc, Norris had subsequently taken a place from the Italian on track and appeared to have the advantage. Their only pit stops turned it however, Mercedes going for an undercut that paid off as the Italian just passed Norris as he emerged from the pit lane a lap later, after a stop which the team principal, Andrea Stella, admitted had been a couple of 10ths too slow. Norris was left to rue his team not having jumped first but it set up a tense showdown all the way to the flag. Norris, darting hither and thither, looking to unbalance the Italian and find a way past.

Explore more on these topics Share Reuse this content Antonelli claims third win of the season with Piastri third Mercedes driver extends championship lead to 20 points The margins were fine but ultimately it was a champion’s composure that won the day for Kimi Antonelli at the Miami Grand Prix. The teenager cannot legally buy a drink in the US yet but by the end of what was a gripping run to the flag the Italian had most assuredly earned a stiffener. Still 19 years old and in only his second season in Formula One, Antonelli’s calmness to see off immense pressure from McLaren’s Lando Norris, who hounded him to the finish, was his best performance in a run that has seen him take three consecutive pole positions and three consecutive wins in these opening four rounds. Continue reading... Kimi Antonelli produces gutsy drive to hold off Norris and win F1 Miami GP