During the Formula 1 2026 Miami GP media day, Kimi Antonelli arrived in the most uncomfortable yet most exhilarating position possible: leading the World Championship, with Mercedes ahead of everyone and his teammate George Russell as his closest challenger in the standings. And yet, judging by what happened in the press conference, the pressure seems to slide off him with surprising ease.
During the official F1 press conference, the Mercedes driver briefly broke the usual flow of questions. When British journalist Tom Clarkson took the floor, Antonelli interrupted him with a sentence that caught everyone off guard: “Well, first of all I have a question for you.” At that point, in front of Carlos Sainz and Isack Hadjar, the young Italian changed roles—from interviewee to interviewer.
The topic was not Mercedes, nor the title fight, nor the new Sprint weekend format in Miami. Antonelli simply wanted to talk about the London Marathon that Clarkson had run a few days earlier. A light-hearted moment, almost out of context, but one that perfectly reflected the calmness with which the 19-year-old is handling a highly intense start to the season.
Antonelli opened the exchange by stopping Clarkson before he could even ask a question:
“I heard you ran the London Marathon. How did it go?”
The journalist replied with humour: “Well, I’m still here.”
Antonelli immediately responded with a smile: “You’re still here, so that’s already positive,” with Clarkson confirming: “It is positive.”
The Mercedes driver then leaned further into the role of interviewer, asking: “Okay, yeah. Did you go under two hours?”
Clarkson replied: “No, I didn’t go under two hours. No. It’s incredible that there were two people under two hours. For me it was a great experience.”
But Antonelli didn’t stop there and followed up: “Okay, yeah. What shoes were you using?”
At that point, Clarkson—now clearly the interviewee and slightly embarrassed—tried to close it off with a smile: “Shoes? I mean… maybe we can talk about that later.”
Antonelli accepted the shift, concluding with: “Ah yes, yes, okay. Interesting.”
The reference was not random. Clarkson ran the London Marathon alongside Sebastian Vettel, the four-time Formula 1 world champion, as part of a charity initiative linked to two organisations closely connected to the paddock: the Grand Prix Trust, which supports F1 personnel in difficult times, and the Brain & Spine Foundation, founded in part by former F1 medical chief Sid Watkins to help people affected by neurological conditions.
Vettel and Clarkson originally aimed to raise £5,000 (around €5,850), but they exceeded the target, reaching more than £8,800—over €10,300. That is why Antonelli’s question had an even more curious effect: in the middle of a press conference about the Miami GP, the World Championship leader briefly shifted attention from the track to a charity marathon run by one of the paddock’s most respected former champions.
It was a short exchange, but enough to lighten a press conference where the 19-year-old from Bologna was naturally one of the most anticipated figures. Mercedes arrives in Miami as the reference team: they have won the first three races of the season and come into the first Sprint weekend of the year with both drivers firmly in the title fight. The young Italian, after wins in China and Japan, leads the championship by nine points over Russell.
However, Antonelli avoided any triumphant tone. He explained that he used the long break to drive and prepare—between GT3, karting, Pirelli testing and simulator work—but also stressed that Mercedes’ advantage could shrink in Miami, where many teams are bringing major upgrades.
He spoke cautiously about the fight with Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull, insisting on the importance of taking things one race at a time. An approach that becomes even more relevant during a Sprint weekend, with only one free practice session (extended to 90 minutes) and very limited time to find the right setup.
The smile with which he turned Clarkson into the interviewee, however, perhaps says more than many of his answers. Kimi Antonelli arrived in Miami carrying the weight of the championship standings, Mercedes expectations, and an already intense internal battle with Russell. But for a few moments, he preferred to talk about running shoes. And in a Formula 1 world that often tries to control every word, that is also a small signal.
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