Kimi Antonelli showcased an impressive start at the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, despite a challenging Sprint race on Saturday. The young Mercedes rookie, who began the day in pole position, was quickly overtaken by Oscar Piastri on the opening turn and eventually finished seventh in the Sprint. However, Antonelli rebounded strongly by securing third place in the Grand Prix qualifying session later that same day, marking the best qualifying result of his F1 career behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
The Miami weekend began with high hopes for Antonelli after clinching pole position on Friday, a first for the promising driver. Speaking after qualifying, he expressed happiness about recovering from the earlier disappointing race and regaining momentum.
Yeah, I mean, this weekend is going well so far. Was a bit disappointing this morning, but it was good to bounce back this way and yeah, I struggled a little bit during the quali,
Antonelli explained during the FIA Press Conference.
I didn’t have such a clean run like I had yesterday. But yeah, that last lap was quite good. I was a bit too greedy in Turn 1 starting the lap, but the rest of the lap was quite good, so I’m happy with it.
Beyond his satisfaction with the day’s results, Antonelli highlighted his growing comfort and confidence with the Mercedes W16, the team’s car prepared for the 2025 season. “Definitely,” he responded when asked if he was happier in the car.
I mean, every weekend is learning and experience and more confidence with the car as well. So really, really happy with how every weekend I’m more able to play a lot more with the car and trying to explore the limit as well. So far this weekend I felt really good in the car. So that’s definitely a positive. And hopefully tomorrow we can do a good race.
When asked about his goals for the Grand Prix, Antonelli preferred to stay cautious, underscoring his focus on having a strong race pace rather than setting explicit targets.
I don’t really want to say because it always goes terribly wrong! So I’m just going to try to have a good start and then try to set a good pace and stay with Max and Lando,
he said. Antonelli also noted the unpredictability posed by the weather, with thunderstorms expected, which could impact race conditions and strategies.
It’s not going to be easy of course, but we’ll see, first of all, how’s the weather, because there are some thunderstorms probably, so that might not be really nice. But yeah, let’s just see how the weather is going to be and then we’ll try to do our best with what we have.
His early practice runs have been promising, as his team collected valuable data on dry conditions, preparing for the uncertainties that Sunday’s race might bring.
Definitely also in FP1 we did quite a long run, so we were able to collect good data on the dry and hopefully we can have a good pace in the race,
Antonelli added.
What makes Kimi Antonelli’s impressive Miami Grand Prix start even more remarkable is that this event marks only his sixth Formula 1 race and his debut at the Miami circuit. Despite the limited experience, his performance signals a rising threat to established drivers across the F1 grid. Looking ahead, the calendar shifts back to European tracks, where Antonelli has significantly more familiarity and experience.
There’s still room for improvement, but yeah, I feel better and better in the car every weekend,
Antonelli said confidently.
So hopefully after this weekend, we’re going to European tracks, tracks that I know well, and hopefully I can maintain the same pace or even go faster.
With such a determined attitude and the evident progress shown in Miami, Kimi Antonelli’s rise in Formula 1 looks poised to shake up the competition. His blend of youth, skill, and growing experience suggests that he will be a formidable presence on the grid in the coming months and seasons, inspiring fans and challenging seasoned racers alike. This Miami Grand Prix may only be the beginning of an exciting journey for the talented Mercedes rookie.
