Antonelli Takes Third Consecutive F1 Win in Miami
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- Kimi Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix — his third successive victory — recovering from losing the lead off pole to undercut McLaren's Lando Norris at the pit stops, making him just the third driver in F1 history to take his first three wins consecutively.
- Toto Wolff called the early-season run 'astounding,' said the Miami drive was Antonelli's best yet, and credited the 19-year-old's karting-like precision: 'There were no mistakes.'
- Antonelli now leads the Drivers' Championship by 20 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, who was widely expected to be the Silver Arrows' lead title contender under F1's 2026 regulations.
- Antonelli lost positions at the start for the sixth time in six races this season (including two Sprints), yet still produced a mature recovery to hold off reigning champion Norris.
- Wolff compared the media frenzy around Antonelli to that of Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner, warning that 'all of Italy will be on him' and that the team needs to 'keep the handbrake on' amid off-track demands.
- Antonelli acknowledged he 'did not expect' to be leading the championship and looked ahead to the Canadian Grand Prix in three weeks, where Russell has historically excelled.
- Antonelli was fast-tracked into F1 as Mercedes' replacement for Lewis Hamilton after the seven-time champion announced in 2024 he was joining Ferrari for 2025.
Why it matters: Antonelli's 20-point championship lead after six races defies the pre-season expectation that Russell would be Mercedes' lead title contender, marking a dramatic validation of the teenager fast-tracked into Hamilton's seat. The pressure now shifts off-track: Wolff is already treating Sinner-and-Antonelli as Italy's twin sporting obsession and is publicly mapping out how to shield his 19-year-old driver from the weight of national expectations.
