Kimi Antonelli turns his first three pole positions into three wins and makes history

Despite yet another disastrous start, Kimi Antonelli managed to turn his pole position into a victory at the Miami Grand Prix, securing his place in history.

Three races, three poles, three wins. Kimi Antonelli continues to write a simply historic start to the season. In Miami, the Mercedes driver confirmed his status as the man of the moment, following a race that was far more competitive than the final result suggests.

Because it wasn't all smooth sailing. Just like in the Sprint, Antonelli had a rough start. Bumped in the very first corner and caught off guard by Charles Leclerc's early braking, he had to improvise to avoid a collision.

“The start wasn't as bad as yesterday—it was actually a little better! I didn't expect Charles to brake that early, so to avoid him, I locked up my wheels. I got a bit lucky with what happened [with Verstappen] at Turn 2.”

A tense start, made even more so by Verstappen's spin right in front of him. But once the storm had passed, the Italian regained control.

Cool-headed in the fray

Facing Leclerc and then Norris, Antonelli had to fight. Really fight. Wheel-to-wheel, pushing the limits, all while managing a car that was sometimes temperamental.

“I made a small energy management mistake while trying to pass Charles, then I lost a position to Lando, but after that the pace was steady and I was able to stay close.”

A pivotal moment, where many might have lost their way. Not him.

Strategically repositioned thanks to a perfectly executed undercut by Mercedes—the move that trapped Norris—Antonelli then retook the lead and never relinquished it, despite a gearbox issue late in the race.

A victory built with the team

Beyond the driving, it was also the strategic reading of the race that made the difference. Mercedes struck at the right moment.

“The team then put an excellent strategy in place; we launched a devastating offensive and managed to pull it off, even though it wasn't easy.”

A statement that perfectly sums up the nature of the race: seemingly in control, but tense in the details.

With this third consecutive victory, Antonelli extends his lead in the championship. A 20-point lead, perfect momentum… and yet, no excessive euphoria. “This is just the beginning; there's still a long way to go. But we're working hard, the team is doing an incredible job, and without them, I wouldn't be here—so it's mainly thanks to them, my family.”

No extended celebrations, though. The schedule leaves no room for rest. “I'm going to enjoy this moment and then get back to work, because Canada is coming up in two weeks.”

And if he keeps up this pace, that “long road ahead” could very well take him far.