Wolff Blames Mercedes 'Glitch' for Antonelli's Poor Miami Start

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has defended Kimi Antonelli after another poor race start in Miami, attributing the costly getaway to a technical 'glitch' within the car rather than driver error. The issue saw the championship leader drop from second to fourth off the line in the Sprint, compounding a season-long weakness that has already cost him significant track position. Antonelli's frustration was compounded by a post-race track limits penalty, which demoted him to sixth and further tightened the standings.

Why it matters:

With Antonelli's championship lead now a slender seven points over teammate George Russell, every lost position is critical. Wolff's public attribution of the problem to the car, not the driver, is a strategic move to shield his young star's confidence but also highlights a persistent technical vulnerability that rivals could exploit in the tight title fight. The incident underscores that Mercedes' current package has clear operational weaknesses beyond pure pace.

The details:

• The problematic start in Miami continued a troubling trend; Antonelli has lost an estimated 20 positions across race starts in 2025 alone.
• Wolff's Explanation: The team boss stated the getaway "wasn't at all Kimi's fault," calling it a "glitch on our side." He linked it to the team being "out of sync" with upgrades, which are not fully arriving until the next race in Montreal.
• Antonelli's Frustration: The Italian driver was adamant he executed the pre-start procedures correctly. "For once I did everything right... so we need to check what happened," he said, adding that the low grip caught him out and led to a frustrated, mistake-filled drive.
• Race Outcome: Despite initially recovering to fourth, Antonelli received a post-race penalty for repeated track limits violations, dropping him to a final classification of sixth in the Sprint.

What's next:

All eyes are on Mercedes' upgrade package scheduled for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. The team has framed these developments as the solution to their current performance sync issues. If the glitches persist, it could hand the initiative to a resurgent McLaren and a steadily improving Ferrari, who are applying pressure from behind. For Antonelli, the focus shifts to maximizing qualifying performance and hoping the technical fixes deliver the consistent race starts required to defend his championship lead.