Mercedes left the Miami Formula 1 GP with Kimi Antonelli’s victory after an intense race. The Italian driver highlighted the team’s strategic work as decisive for the result.
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The triumph reinforces the team’s good start to the season, but internally the message is one of caution. Even with the positive result, Mercedes recognizes that the competition throughout the year will be balanced and dependent on constant development.
Antonelli admitted that the race was not easy and highlighted the recovery throughout the race: “It was not an easy race, but I am very happy that we achieved the victory. Our pace was strong and the team did a brilliant job on strategy,” he said. He also emphasized the moment of the decisive overtaking: “The ‘undercut’ worked almost perfectly and, even starting behind the McLaren, we managed to overtake with the tires at the ideal temperature,” he said.
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George Russell, who finished fourth, had more difficulties, especially with the hard tires: “It was a tough afternoon. At the start, it seemed we were in the fight, but my pace was not strong with the hard tires,” he said. Despite this, the Briton valued the result and praised his teammate: “Kimi did a great job and showed that the car can fight for victory,” he added.
The team principal, Toto Wolff, highlighted the challenge faced throughout the weekend and the importance of strategic decisions: “We knew it would be a tough fight, especially with competitors bringing updates, but we made good decisions and that helped Kimi win,” he explained. He also reinforced that the season will be defined by continuous development: “We had a good start, but that can change quickly. We need to keep evolving to maintain performance,” Wolff concluded.
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