Mercedes takes responsibility for Kimi Antonelli's poor starts in Miami

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has publicly shouldered the blame for Kimi Antonelli's repeated poor race starts in Miami, calling it a team-wide failure that is costing the squad despite its dominant car performance. The issue has become a recurring weakness, with Mercedes failing to convert any of its four pole positions this season into a lead at the first corner.

Why it matters:

A chronic starting problem is emerging as a critical vulnerability for the otherwise dominant Mercedes team. In a season where race-day execution is paramount, this repeated operational error threatens to undermine their perfect win record and could prove costly in closer championship battles, especially as rivals work to close the performance gap.

The details:

• Wolff explicitly absolved rookie driver Kimi Antonelli of fault, stating the mistakes in both the Miami Sprint and Grand Prix were "a team mistake" and "not at all on him."
• The team principal admitted Mercedes is not providing its drivers with the correct tools or data, specifically citing issues with "clutch and grip estimates."
• Wolff acknowledged Mercedes is currently alone in struggling with this specific problem, noting, "we are the only ones who... don't get that right now for a few races."
• Despite the poor getaways, Mercedes' superior car pace has allowed them to recover and win every Grand Prix so far this season.

What's next:

Wolff emphasized that the team cannot continue to rely on its pace advantage to bail out poor starts, warning that "the gaps are not big enough to cruise into the sunset." The team is under pressure to urgently diagnose and fix the start procedure issues. For Antonelli, the public backing from his team boss alleviates immediate pressure, but consistent clean getaways will be crucial for his development and the team's continued success as the season progresses.