Kimi Antonelli secured victories in China and Japan, leading the championship after a strategic race at Suzuka. His success was aided by a teammate's misfortune and a timely safety car.
Key points
Kimi Antonelli won races in China and Japan.
He leads the championship after Suzuka.
A safety car helped him during the race in Japan.
George Russell faced issues in qualifying.
Antonelli's victories have been questioned by critics.
Kimi AntonelliGeorge Russell
Motorsport photo
Motorsport photo
Well, in China he only had George Russell to beat ā and George had an issue in qualifying. That victory wasnāt, of course, gifted to Kimi Antonelli ā yet still, when the Silver Arrows dominate with such a margin and a team-mate faces some adversity, a driver of a top team should be able to run away with such an opportunity, right?
Japan is a whole other story, with a timely safety car. Had that not appeared so conveniently for Antonelli during what was set to be a difficult race for him following a poor start, he wouldnāt be leading the championship after Suzuka. Yes, he maximised that opportunity too, and looked very convincing in the final part of the race ā still, there was plenty for naysayers to latch onto and doubters to doubt.
A pinch of luck, clearly the best car on the grid, some misfortune for Russell ā and youāve already got enough elements to play down Antonelliās victories in Asia back in March.
Itās rather difficult to pick fault with his performance in Miami, though. McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing arrived in the US with major upgrades, and it wasnāt Russell anymore who appeared to be Antonelliās main challenger. More so, the Italian was not only better than his team-mate throughout the whole weekend ā but by a big margin.
Remember when it was George who was almost unquestionably considered the title favourite ahead of the season? Well, if anyone still thought so ahead of Miami, they might need to reconsider.
George Russell clearly struggled in Miami
Q&A
How did Kimi Antonelli win the race in Japan?
Kimi Antonelli won the race in Japan thanks to a timely safety car that helped him recover from a poor start.
What challenges did Kimi Antonelli face during the races in Asia?
Antonelli faced challenges such as a difficult start in Japan and competition from George Russell, who encountered issues in qualifying.
What factors contributed to Kimi Antonelli's championship lead?
Antonelli's championship lead is attributed to his victories in China and Japan, aided by a strong car and his competitor's misfortunes.
What was the significance of the safety car in Antonelli's race strategy?
The safety car was crucial for Antonelli's race strategy, allowing him to recover positions and ultimately secure the win despite a challenging start.
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George Russell clearly struggled in Miami
George Russell clearly struggled in Miami
In Miami, it was the pre-season favourite who had to look for excuses. Yes, the fact that rivals could almost entirely eliminate Mercedesā pace advantage in one go ā with a single upgrade package ā came as a bit of a surprise. Antonelli showed thereās still enough speed in the W17 to fight for victory, but the cushion is now gone ā at least until Mercedes brings its own upgraded version of the car to Canada. And given how well the Silver Arrows have performed in Montreal in recent years, we may well see them dominating there again.
But Miami showed the whole of 2026 is unlikely to be a walk in the park for Mercedes. Toto Wolff still needs his drivers to make the difference ā and it wasnāt Russell in Miami.
True, itās not difficult to see Georgeās point: he struggled in Miami last year, too. After Saturday running, he did reveal what hadnāt been widely known about his weaknesses.
"This is a track I've always struggled with," he said. "Kimi was pole last year, I was P5, today he's pole and I'm P5. It's just very low grip here, you're sliding around a lot, tarmac's hot. Similar to Brazil, Kimi again was more competitive than me there. Whereas I much prefer the high grip conditions, where the tyre and the car is more connected with the ground. So, yeah, I just want to get through this weekend, really."
And while the theory stacks up ā and Antonelli indeed looked stronger in Sao Paulo last year ā for him to expose that weakness of Russellās so clearly after just over a year in Formula 1 is nothing short of impressive.
On Sunday, Antonelli had to fight for his victory like never before. Charles Leclerc made his life difficult in the opening phase, and then Lando Norris chased him down throughout the second stint. He needed to be flawless ā and he was.
Itās still far too early to declare the young Italian a title favourite, and itās clear he will try to distance himself from such thoughts as much as possible ā but both are rather difficult to do with Kimiās lead in the championship now stretching to 20 points.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Toto Wolff, Mercedes
"That is the risk that he's been carried away too quickly," Toto Wolff said during his media session on Sunday evening, addressing not only journalists in the room, but also Kimiās father. "And therefore, I know with the parents, we know that the parents are going to keep him grounded. Right, Marco?"
"Right, right," smiled Antonelli Sr.
"I think that it's astounding," Wolff continued. "I think these few races, in a way, what we predicted as a team, that we would have ups and downs last season, moments of brilliance, moments where you want to tear your hair out. And this year, it's coming together. I don't think that any of us would have expected this kind of run. Given that the car is very good, an engine that is right ā But how he has been able to just, you know, monetise on that every single week, it is special."
Keeping both feet on the ground now seems to be Antonelliās biggest challenge. The speed that prompted Wolff last year to accelerate the Italianās promotion to F1 is now evident and undeniable. The ability to cope with pressure is also on display. It wasnāt just last Sunday ā it was clearly visible last year in Brazil, where Antonelli had to defend against Max Verstappen in the closing stages.
Now, Kimi needs to back it up with consistency. Three wins in a row is very impressive, yet not much has gone wrong for him so far this season ā and there will be races where heāll need to overcome adversity.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
"When you look throughout his trajectory in karting and in the junior formulas, he was just outstanding," Wolff said on Sunday. "When you think about what we said last year, it's exactly how his performance, how his development happened. We had these great ups, moments of brilliance and then moments where he was allowed to make mistakes. We needed to calibrate and continue to mentor him while still putting pressure on him.
"He just takes it away. He's able to analyse it, but then don't overthink it. He compartmentalises it. 'Okay, I made a mistake, I put it away'. And then, boom, this year we start the season: he's seen the grand prix, he's worked with the team, he knows the pressure that the media puts upon him...
"But nevertheless, we just really need to stay calm here. Such a success, [for] such a young man at that stage.
"So, the family and us, we are really..."
Wolff turned to Antonelli Sr once again.
"You're the first one actually to calm down! Marco is pretty good at keeping his son grounded, even when he's winning. And I think all of us collectively that are close to him, we need to keep re-emphasising and repeating the message. This is a long game. He has a killer of a team-mate that is extremely fast. The others are catching up in performance. And we want to play the long game. He can hopefully win many championships over 10 years, 15 years. And we don't want to stumble now with these huge expectations that we set on him. Because the moment he has a bad race, which will happen, when he makes a mistake, people will say, 'Oh, maybe Kimi is not the one superstar that we thought [he was]'. And that's why ā let's keep that trajectory.
"He's 19 years old. I don't think I was able to take my own flight when I was 19. And find my way to the terminal of the airport. So, it's incredible what he's doing."
Oscar Piastri didnāt really manage the pressure of leading the championship last year ā showing how difficult it is to stay cool when the title is at stake.