Kimi Antonelli achieved a remarkable victory at the Miami Grand Prix in Formula 1 and pointed to Mercedes’ strategy as the decisive factor. The young driver highlighted the ‘undercut’ applied during the race as the key moment to take the lead.
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The result reinforces the excellent start of the Italian’s career in 2026, who continues to perform well in the championship. Additionally, he extended his internal advantage within the team and consolidated an unprecedented achievement in the category.
Starting from pole, Antonelli lost some positions right at the beginning after a mistake trying to avoid Charles Leclerc in the first corner: “The start was a little better than yesterday, but I didn’t expect Charles to brake so early, I tried to avoid him and ended up locking the wheels,” he said. Even so, he managed to recover after an incident involving Max Verstappen and returned to the fight for the top positions.
During the race, the Mercedes driver had a direct duel with Leclerc and Lando Norris, even losing position by making an error in energy management. Nevertheless, he maintained a strong pace and stayed close to the leaders. The turnaround came after the safety car intervention, when the team gambled on an early pit stop.
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“The team made a great strategy, it was a huge ‘undercut’ and we managed to bring the result, even though it wasn’t easy,” Antonelli said. The maneuver secured the lead in the race, which was confirmed after overtaking Verstappen, who was on a different strategy.
With the victory, the third of his career, Antonelli also extended his advantage over teammate George Russell, who finished fourth. The Italian driver also celebrated the moment but is already looking ahead: “This is just the beginning, the road is long, but we are working very hard,” Antonelli concluded.
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