Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has cleared Kimi Antonelli of any fault for the incident.
The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, defended Kimi Antonelli for the bad start at the Miami Grand Prix Sprint, attributing it to a glitch on their side rather than Antonelli’s fault.
Despite starting second and falling back for the fifth time in standing starts in 2026, Antonelli managed to pass George Russell and was running fourth before receiving a post-race time penalty for exceeding track limits, ultimately finishing sixth.
Antonelli mentioned a “fundamental” issue to resolve after failed starts in previous races, hinting at a Mercedes-related problem affecting his performance.
Wolff acknowledged the team’s upgrade timing mismatch and the struggle with a poor start, emphasizing the importance of addressing the issues to improve performance.
Antonelli clarified that he executed his procedures correctly this time but faced challenges due to low grip levels and increased competition from other teams with significant upgrades, aiming to focus on qualifying to maximize results.
