Kimi Antonelli concedes race starts remain his weak point, even as he departs Miami with a third straight victory and the Drivers’ Championship lead.

The 19-year-old extends his advantage to 20 points over Mercedes teammate George Russell, having controlled the Grand Prix under sustained pressure from Lando Norris.

Despite recent poles at the last three events, Antonelli’s getaways have lacked execution, regularly surrendering track position in the first seconds after lights out.

Miami underlined the pattern. He lost two places at the Grand Prix start and six in the Sprint, representing progress yet still shy of front-running standards.

Toto Wolff says a technical glitch compromised the Sprint launch from P2, despite Antonelli following the prescribed procedure. Even so, Mercedes views the trend as a priority fix.

Similar episodes have shaped other weekends.

He fell from pole to sixth in Japan, slipped to seventh after starting near the front in Australia, and lost a place to Lewis Hamilton in China.

Antonelli accepts that fine margins at the start can invert a race, particularly against Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc when track position dictates strategy options.

He identifies clutch bite-point control and repeatability as the core tasks. Uncertainty in the drop remains, and he plans further work with Mercedes systems and practice runs.

The Miami launch included a lock-up and wide moment while disputing space with Verstappen, yet he limited the damage and reset quickly to manage the first stint.

Mercedes continues to balance launch map aggressiveness with drivability and clutch wear, seeking a consistent, repeatable release without compromising reliability or tyre preparation.

Forthcoming rounds heighten the stakes. Montreal demands traction off a dusty grid, Monaco rewards track position, and Barcelona exposes weaknesses over a long run to Turn 1.

Solve the launch deficit, and Antonelli converts poles more reliably, protects against undercuts, and consolidates a title bid that rivals are eager to disrupt.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.