Wolff clears Antonelli: “The problem was on the car”. Kimi: “This time I did everything right”
Toto Wolff has defended Kimi Antonelli, stating that the number 12 driver executed all start procedures perfectly during the Miami Sprint Race.
Antonelli, another poor start
The start phase continues to be the main weak point for Kimi Antonelli. Once again in the Miami Sprint, the Italian driver suffered a difficult launch, spinning the wheels and losing traction off the line.
Immediately overtaken by Charles Leclerc and briefly also by George Russell, the Bologna-born driver was forced into a recovery race, turning what could have been a strong front-running Sprint into a difficult and compromised session.
A penalty for repeated track limits violations was the most predictable consequence of this lack of experience, dropping Antonelli from fourth to sixth place. He will now need to recover in qualifying.
Everything appears to have started from that uncertain launch, and team principal Toto Wolff shares the same view. The Austrian cleared Antonelli of blame, stating that the number 12 executed everything correctly at the start but was affected by a Mercedes-related issue.
Wolff’s words
“It was difficult to recover with that bad start, which was absolutely not Kimi’s fault,” Wolff admitted. “There was a problem, yes, but on our side.”
Antonelli’s words
“The start, from a procedural point of view, was fine,” Antonelli added.
“We need to understand what happened, because the clutch release was perfect. On my side, I think I did everything right, for once. It was a shame to start so badly again, because that compromised the entire race,” he said.
In summary, Toto Wolff’s defense of Kimi Antonelli highlights that while the results on paper were disappointing, the driver’s technical execution of the start was flawless, shifting the focus to Mercedes‘ reliability as they prepare for the main event in Miami.
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