Kimi Antonelli wants to outperform George Russell in Miami. The time is right for the young Italian driver, who in recent races has been getting closer and closer to his teammate by the end of the Grand Prix. In Jeddah, the gap to the Briton was just 7 seconds, after a race made more difficult by some dizziness—a far from ideal issue on a track like the Saudi one, where lateral accelerations often exceed 5G.
The opportunity to close in even further on the Englishman is significant, considering the relatively simple layout of the Miami circuit. It’s well known that beating the teammate sharing your garage is the first step towards achieving great results. Finishing ahead of someone driving the same concept car would be an extraordinary confidence boost—especially at 18 years old—crucial for his development.
Little experience and medium-low downforce may complicate Sector 1
The Florida track can suit the Italian’s driving style, which is improving corner by corner with each race. In slower sections, Kimi prefers an earlier apex compared to his teammate, thanks to braking earlier. This allows him to get back on the throttle more efficiently and recover more ground than he loses under braking on the straights against George.
On the circuit that winds around the Hard Rock Stadium, there are at least three corners where Kimi can apply this technique: 1, 16, and 17. With this style, Antonelli manages to set up the rear of the car to rotate it through the corner—a typical karting technique, which is his background. The only real concern could be the single free practice session scheduled for the Sprint weekend.
Kimi will need to focus on the first sector of the track, which is the most technical and hardest to interpret. Keep in mind that the medium-low aerodynamic downforce setup, combined with a softer suspension setup to maximize mechanical grip, further complicates car handling. Sector 1 may be where Antonelli loses the most ground to George Russell.
Additionally, the combination of low downforce and lack of experience on the American track could work against him. Antonelli has spent considerable time on the simulator, working closely with engineers to build confidence on the circuit. The focus was precisely on the first sector, testing various setups to prepare different configurations that best suit his style.
Antonelli will use the Sprint to study tyre degradation
Kimi will rely on Saturday’s Sprint race to understand how to manage tyre wear for Sunday’s Grand Prix. After Jeddah, the Italian stated that he needed to find the right balance during the race before pushing to the maximum. When it comes to tyre management, the 100-kilometre mini race will be very important for him.
The strong progress he has shown and the typically high overtaking potential at Miami may help him. However, qualifying will be crucial, and starting as far forward as possible will be key. The layout makes it hard to stabilize tyre temperatures due to the long straights. The goal will be to preserve tyres as much as possible for the slow corners between Sector 2 and Sector 3, the section that best suits his driving characteristics.
Kimi could use this part of the track to recover the ground lost in Sector 1 to George Russell, closing the gap already in qualifying. Kimi really has his first concrete opportunity to fight the Briton in his Mercedes. To do so, of course, he will need to put together the key laps of the weekend, find confidence, and race with the composure he’s already shown he possesses.
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