Wolff defends Antonelli after another poor start in Miami sprint

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has absolved driver Kimi Antonelli of blame for another costly poor start during the Miami Grand Prix sprint, attributing the issue to a technical 'glitch' on the car. The championship leader dropped from second to fourth on the opening lap, continuing a troubling trend that has seen him lose a total of 20 positions at race starts this season. Despite the setback, Antonelli retains a seven-point lead in the drivers' standings, but Mercedes missed the podium for the first time in 2026 as upgraded McLaren and Ferrari cars capitalized.

Why it matters:

For a championship-leading driver, consistent race starts are critical. Antonelli's recurring issue, now quantified at 20 lost positions, represents a significant vulnerability that rivals can exploit. Wolff's immediate public defense shifts focus from driver error to team reliability, a crucial move to protect the confidence of their 19-year-old star during a tight title fight. The incident also highlights the competitive pressure as teams like McLaren bring major upgrades, exposing any current weakness in the Mercedes package.

The details:

• The Miami sprint marked a continuation of a clear pattern, with Antonelli losing positions at the start for the fifth time in five race weekends this season.
• Wolff explicitly stated the problem was "a glitch on our side" and "wasn't at all Kimi's fault," indicating a clutch or launch control issue within the team's control.
• Antonelli confirmed he executed his procedures correctly but experienced unexpectedly low grip at the start, leading to frustration and subsequent driving errors, including a track limits violation that earned him a five-second penalty.
• The result—initially fourth, demoted to sixth after the penalty—handed positions to teammate George Russell and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, underscoring the direct points cost of the poor start.
• Mercedes arrived in Miami with fewer updates compared to rivals, a strategic decision Wolff acknowledged, stating upgrades are scheduled for the next round in Montreal.

The big picture:

Antonelli's season has been a tale of two halves: brilliant speed in qualifying and race pace, evidenced by wins in China and Japan, undermined by repeated launch troubles. While he still leads the championship, the points buffer to George Russell (7 points) and Charles Leclerc (20 points) is being eroded by these self-inflicted setbacks. The team's decision to delay its major upgrade package until Canada is a calculated risk, betting that their current car is sufficient to maintain a title challenge until new parts arrive. This incident puts immediate pressure on the team's engineers to diagnose and solve the start issue before it defines their season.

What's next:

All attention turns to solving the start problem before the main Miami Grand Prix and for the remainder of the season.

• The immediate task for Mercedes engineers is to identify and rectify the technical 'glitch' before Sunday's race to prevent further points loss.
• The scheduled major upgrade package in Montreal now carries added weight, needing to deliver not just performance but also enhanced reliability in all phases of a race weekend.
• For Antonelli, the challenge is mental as much as technical; maintaining focus and composure after repeated frustrating starts will be key to his championship bid. Maximizing qualifying, where he has excelled, becomes even more critical to offset the start-line risk.