Teen Spirit

Antonelli takes third straight win as Mercedes keeps control of F1 title race

Kimi Antonelli is turning Formula One’s youth movement into a championship charge.

The 19-year-old Mercedes driver claimed his third straight career victory in Miami and left the United States with a 20-point lead in the drivers’ championship. The result made him the youngest championship leader in F1 history and the first Italian to win three races in a row since Alberto Ascari in 1952.

Antonelli’s latest win also answered a growing question inside the paddock. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff had long described him as a generational talent, but not everyone accepted the hype. After Miami, the doubts became harder to defend.

The Italian converted another pole position into victory, despite another poor start that has already become a recurring part of his young career. He came under pressure from McLaren world champion Lando Norris but held on for a win that strengthened his reputation and lifted expectations among Italian racing fans.

His rise has also changed the picture inside Mercedes. George Russell, his teammate and the winner of the season opener, entered the year as a strong title contender. But Antonelli has since taken control of the championship race while Mercedes continues to lead the constructors’ standings.

Wolff said Antonelli’s progress has exceeded expectations.

“It’s astounding, these few races,” Wolff said. “I don’t think anyone expected this. He has monetised on it every single weekend and it’s special.”

Mercedes now heads to Montreal with confidence and a major upgrade package planned for Canada. The team remains the benchmark despite new parts from McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull, plus tweaks to the regulations.

Antonelli’s rapid climb comes after Wolff fast-tracked him into Mercedes in 2024, even before the teenager had passed his regular road car driving test. That decision drew questions at the time. His current form has turned it into one of the boldest calls in recent F1 memory.

Wolff said the team can manage Antonelli’s rise inside Mercedes, but admitted the bigger challenge may come from the attention in Italy. He compared Antonelli’s growing popularity to that of tennis star Jannik Sinner.

“The easiest bit is making sure that he keeps both feet on the ground within the team,” Wolff said. “The bigger problem is the Italian public.”

The Miami race also showed that Mercedes still has the pace to resist the rest of the grid. The race featured several overtaking battles tied to battery deployment and energy recovery, with drivers again dealing with big speed differences on track.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who finished third, said the closing speeds remained difficult to manage.

“It’s still pretty crazy, to be honest,” Piastri said. “The closing speeds are huge and trying to anticipate that as a defending driver is incredibly tough.”

Wolff defended the racing spectacle against criticism that the new style of overtaking looked artificial.

“Anyone who complains after that race should hide,” he said. “Honestly, it was a great advert for F1.”

Away from Mercedes, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the sport could still face more changes. He raised the possibility of a return to V8 engines, discussed multi-team ownership in F1, and mentioned a paddock return for former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

For now, the spotlight belongs to Antonelli. Three wins, a championship lead and a growing Italian following have turned him from Mercedes’ teenage gamble into Formula One’s newest headline act.