After failing to put either car on the podium in the Miami GP Sprint, Mercedes bounced back in qualifying for the main race. The credit goes to Kimi Antonelli, who secured his third consecutive pole position, while George Russell continued to struggle, finishing fifth and four-tenths off his teammate’s benchmark. Analysing both drivers’ performances, Toto Wolff praised the Italian rookie’s progress and assessed the difficulties faced by the British driver.
The development of Kimi Antonelli
Antonelli’s pole position was effectively secured with his first flying lap in Q3, as an error in his second attempt prevented any further improvement. Wolff praised the incredible speed shown by the 19-year-old Italian.
“That first lap was really special; as you saw, he was three or more tenths ahead of second place. Spectacular, and that’s what secured the pole,” Wolff said.
Despite the mistake on his final timed lap, the Mercedes Team Principal sees clear signs of maturity in the young talent.
“It’s an improvement compared to the past, when he would have ended up in the wall. Now he has only lost a lap, but he is showing his speed and it is really nice to see,” he added.
Wolff also reaffirmed Mercedes’ decision to promote the very young Antonelli to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025:
“The journey from mini-karts to F2 shows pace and progression. He just needs development; last year we allowed him to make mistakes, he has great character traits and speed.”
George Russell’s management of difficulties
Regarding George Russell’s fifth-place result, the British driver explained his struggles in adapting to circuits with low-grip asphalt and high temperatures like Miami. Wolff described his driver’s feeling using a sporting analogy.
“George struggled with certain circuits; here the asphalt is very smooth. It’s almost like a tennis player who is strong on clay compared to a hard surface,” Wolff said.
Even though he was not fully comfortable with the setup, Russell came close to the front row.
“He recovered well despite not feeling at ease,” Wolff noted. “He was potentially P3 before a small mistake in the final corner. He showed he had the pace to fight from fifth position.”
Strategic outlook and weather uncertainty for the race
Mercedes’ improvement compared to the Sprint comes from targeted setup changes, as confirmed by Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director.
“The changes made after the Sprint seem to have helped bring the car into a better window. The progress is encouraging, but we know how much Sunday matters,” Shovlin said.
Looking ahead to the Grand Prix, weather-related variables are expected to play a decisive role. Despite FIA and F1 moving the start time forward by three hours, the race is still expected to be affected by rain.
“The weather could make things interesting and challenging, especially considering the lack of wet running with this car,” Shovlin explained.
Wolff concluded by highlighting the expected on-track difficulties.
“We saw in the Sprint how difficult overtaking is, but the variable forecast will make the race intense. Let’s see what the Grand Prix brings,” he said.
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