Kimi Antonelli was among the very first to arrive in the Miami paddock. As soon as he entered the Mercedes hospitality area, he greeted everyone, taking a moment in particular to speak with his race engineer, Peter Bonnington. It was a warm hug—perhaps a bit too warm—because Bonnington’s cup of coffee spilled over. “Okay, I’d better go…,” Kimi Antonelli joked, closing off a light-hearted moment that perfectly reflects the atmosphere around him.
Finding himself leading the Formula 1 World Championship is something even he did not fully expect. Yet it is now reality, and Antonelli has begun to feel it in his daily life as well.
“But now I can’t wait to get back on track. When I packed my suitcase for Miami, I was really excited because after a long break you just want to go racing again. I also feel more relaxed—I’ve shown something, and every step forward lets you race thinking only about going fast and maximising performance.”
The feeling is that the stress of leading the championship is far lighter compared to what he experienced last year, when every race felt like an exam to secure a contract that was far from guaranteed.
Even Toto Wolff, with his strong communication skills, chose to ease the pressure: “We don’t need to ask Kimi for miracles anymore.”
“I understand that,” Kimi Antonelli replied. “He doesn’t want to put too much pressure on me. From my side, I can say I’m in a good moment, in a strong position, but the season is still very long. The only really important thing is to stay focused, race by race. It won’t be easy, because I think our rivals will get closer.”
During the break, Antonelli and Mercedes worked extensively to identify and fix the launch issues seen at the starts of the first three races of the season.
“I’ve really done a lot of practice on the simulator—more than 100 starts. In the end, my forearm was hurting. We understood where to improve, but we won’t have the upgrades this weekend: we’ll use a compromise. The improvements will come from Montreal.”
In Canada, the updates will not only involve clutch changes. Somewhat surprisingly, Mercedes arrive in Miami with only minimal upgrades on the car, with the major development package set for Montreal instead.
“It will be an interesting weekend,” Kimi explained. “I think all our rivals will be bringing big upgrades. That could make our weekend more difficult, but at the same time, if we manage to stay ahead, it will be an important signal for the team. In any case, we know our time will come to bring our developments to the car as well.”
The Miami circuit is where Antonelli first made a major impact in Formula 1, taking pole position in last year’s Sprint qualifying. “I remember having a great feeling on this track,” Antonelli concluded. “So far I’ve always had a car that allowed me to feel good everywhere. But yes, I’m happy to be back where I took my first pole.”
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