Antonelli left to rue another slow start in Miami Sprint as Wolff clarifies it ‘wasn’t at all his fault’

Kimi Antonelli had to settle for sixth position in the Miami Grand Prix Sprint race after losing ground on the opening lap and later being hit with a penalty for a track limits violation.

Antonelli started Saturday’s 19-lap encounter from second on the grid but dropped to fourth at Turn 1, behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc – and almost Mercedes team mate George Russell, who lined up sixth.

While the championship leader emerged on top in a mid-race battle with Russell and crossed the line in P4, he fell to P6 post-race – five seconds being added to his overall time for exceeding track limits on multiple occasions.

Reflecting on his rollercoaster outing, and another sluggish getaway after similar experiences in Australia, China and Japan, Antonelli said: “Yeah, the start to be fair, on procedure it was all good. We need to check what happened, because the [clutch] drop was good.

“On my side, for once I did everything right, so it was a shame to again have a really bad start. It just compromised the race.

“We’re struggling a little bit this weekend, but the pace was not too bad at the end. It was difficult out there, but we’ll focus on Qualifying now.”

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff stated shortly after the Sprint that Antonelli’s latest poor start was down to the team rather than the driver – while noting the development steps made by rivals McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull over the April gap.

“We know that we are a little out of sync with our upgrades compared to other teams,” he said. “We were hoping we were going to be able to hold on to our advantage, and in terms of pure lap times, we were close to the pace at the front in the Sprint.

“But if you have a bad getaway, which wasn't at all Kimi's fault but was an issue on our side, it is going to be difficult to fight back.

“This season is going to be a pure development race and whoever brings a few tenths before their competitors will gain an advantage.”

Russell, meanwhile, admitted that fourth was the maximum Mercedes could have achieved across the 100-kilometre dash, as his inherited position cut Antonelli’s championship lead from nine points to seven.

Asked if his car felt any better than in Sprint Qualifying, the Briton said: “I’ve got to be honest, not really. I think it feels challenging for everyone out there. Miami’s a very low-grip circuit, the cars are sliding around a lot, even for the McLarens who are quickest.

“It’s just a track I’ve never really liked, in terms of how you have to drive the cars… it’s one I struggle at, and definitely one my team mate excels at. You have to accept sometimes that’s the case, and maximise the points.

“I don’t think I could have achieved more than the result I got today. This afternoon [in Qualifying for the Grand Prix] I’ll do my best again.”