The 2026 Formula 1 season has gained an unexpected protagonist: Kimi Antonelli. At 19 years old, the Italian has three wins and leads the championship, becoming the youngest leader in history after extending his lead at the Miami GP last Sunday (3).
Read more F1: FIA plans return of V8 engines for 2030 season
The performance marks a clear evolution compared to 2025, when he still made mistakes, especially in the European rounds. In Miami, however, Antonelli showed maturity: he took pole position and held the lead against the current world champion Lando Norris, from McLaren, who had competitive pace but could not attack him.
The rapid leap draws comparisons with Max Verstappen. Unlike names like Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Lando Norris, Antonelli emerges as a possible direct rival to the four-time Red Bull champion, although it is still early for conclusions, as shown by the case of Oscar Piastri, who dropped off after a good start in 2025.
Read more F1: Messi congratulates Antonelli for victory at the Miami GP
Behind the scenes, Toto Wolff tries to contain the euphoria: “The easy part is keeping him grounded in this team. His parents have played a very important role in keeping him balanced. The biggest problem is the Italian public.” He added: “Now that they didn’t qualify for the Football World Cup, the whole thing revolves around [Jannik] Sinner (the tennis player) and Antonelli. Sinner won in Madrid, so these are the two superstars, and that is something we need to moderate. There is so much demand for his time from media and sponsors that it is up to us to pull the handbrake.”
Meanwhile, George Russell sees the pressure growing after finishing behind his teammate in Miami. “He is clearly in a good phase at the moment and is having some strong moments. However, I have enough experience winning championships to know how momentum can change during a year. Just look at last year’s championship.” He added: “To be honest, I’m not thinking about that. I want to get back to the top step of the podium. In the first three races I had the performance to do that; this weekend I clearly did not.”
Read more F1: Mercedes gets strategy right and Antonelli wins victory
