Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has condemned Red Bull for a “total lack of judgement” following a dangerous pit lane collision between Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen during the Miami Grand Prix Sprint. The incident happened on lap 12, as both drivers pitted to switch from intermediate to slick tyres on the drying track. Verstappen, running several seconds ahead, was released by Red Bull just as Antonelli approached his Mercedes pit box, which is situated directly in front of Red Bull’s stop. This sequence led to brief contact between the two cars.
Despite the collision, Antonelli demonstrated remarkable control, quickly steering back into the pit lane and avoiding potential harm to his pit crew. Verstappen was handed a 10-second penalty—although not personally at fault—which cost him a points-scoring finish. Antonelli, forced to pit again a lap later, also ended up outside the points.
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, later admitted the unsafe release was due to a “human error.” However, Wolff expressed his disappointment, calling the mistake unacceptable under any circumstances.
If it was the main race it would be seriously annoying,
he told Sky Sports F1.
I was surprised by the total lack of judgement because it wasn’t even close to releasing without any security concerns. Somebody panicked there.
This collision adds to a growing list of Red Bull’s pit stop issues this season, including a slow stop for Verstappen in Japan and a release-system failure in Bahrain. Known historically for flawless pit stops, the seven-time winner of the fastest pit stop award is now facing uncharacteristic operational challenges.
Verstappen insisted that these incidents are unrelated but agreed that an investigation into the recent error is necessary.
They have all been different incidents [this year],
he said.
You can’t compare these things. We all don’t want that to happen but it happened. It’s something we need to investigate but I’m just happy no one got injured. With these cars, if you hit someone, it’s not great. It’s super clear what happened, so there’s not much more for me to add.
The sudden pit lane troubles followed the departure of former Red Bull sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, who managed pit operations before moving to Sauber as team principal. Jenson Button, former world champion and Sky Sports F1 pundit, commented on the transition period.
It’s such a high-pressure situation. You can practice it all you want, but it’s the live pit stops where there’s so much pressure. If you lose two or three tenths that could be losing a victory. They are all under massive pressure,
he said.
Button added,
Jonathan Wheatley has been around forever. He is just set in his ways and does exactly the same every race. For someone trying to fill his shoes, it’s like filling a driver’s shoes in a new team, it takes time to adapt but it’s taking a little too long.
Kimi Antonelli made history as the youngest ever pole-sitter in Formula 1 but quickly lost the lead to Oscar Piastri after a tight battle into the first corner. Antonelli claimed he was “pushed off” the track, causing him to run wide and drop to fourth place.
A bit annoyed about lap one, with how it went,
Antonelli said.
It seems like it’s like this, that you can do basically whatever you want. So it’s good to know for the future. Definitely it’s a shame but luckily we have a qualifying to bounce back.
Piastri, who also overtook Verstappen on Turn 1 of the previous race in Saudi Arabia, defended his driving.
I had a really good start. Obviously, got alongside, and I think we probably both braked a little bit later than we should have. There was a bit of contact, but I pulled it up still pretty comfortably. With that move, it would have won me the sprint if there was no Safety Car, so it was a good first lap.
The incidents this season have highlighted evolving dynamics in racecraft, especially regarding aggressive overtakes at the start of races. Following controversial clashes last year between Verstappen and Lando Norris, the Formula 1 Driving Standards Guidelines were updated. These rules now allow drivers on the inside line to push rivals wide, provided they remain within track limits themselves, and do not have to leave space on the outside line. While this rule aims to clarify racing conduct, Mercedes boss Wolff critiques its impact.
We are not setting a good precedent. You just release the brake and push the other guy off,
Wolff said.
You need to leave a car’s space but it’s creeped in that in Turn 1, he pushed him out. It’s Kimi’s sixth race and he’s learned the lesson this is what you need to do. I don’t entirely agree with that but that’s how we’ve allowed it for a few years now.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella supported the current steward interpretations, emphasizing clear guidelines to ensure fairness and safety.
I think there are relatively clear guidelines and also the interpretation of the stewards that we not only trust, but also rely on in terms of setting the standards, so that’s the standards for everyone. If you look at Oscar’s position approaching corner one, Oscar staying on track all the way, I think that belongs to the category of clean manoeuvres.
The Red Bull pit lane collision involving Kimi Antonelli has sparked significant debate about team operations and race regulations. The incident not only exposed weaknesses in Red Bull’s pit crew execution but also tested the resilience of young drivers like Antonelli, who despite early setbacks, continues to show remarkable composure under pressure.
As Formula 1 moves forward, the consequences of this episode could drive improvements in pit stop protocols and reinforce the importance of cautious, clear decision-making in high-stakes environments. For Kimi Antonelli, the focus remains on learning and adapting quickly to the intense pace and physicality of F1 racing, with opportunities to recover in upcoming qualifying sessions and races.
The Miami Grand Prix Sprint weekend continues to provide thrilling action and critical moments, underscoring that success in Formula 1 depends as much on flawless team coordination as on individual driving skill, blending precision, speed, and strategic judgement at every turn.
