Andrea Kimi Antonelli took his fourth P6 finish of his rookie season in the Miami Grand Prix, but has now told Mercedes to ‘analyse’ one expected reason for why ‘I struggled’.
The 18-year-old broke yet another record amidst his fledgling Formula 1 career at the Miami GP last weekend. Antonelli became the youngest-ever pole sitter for any F1 race format with P1 for the Sprint, as well as boasting the records for leading a lap and posting the fastest lap.
Mercedes watched Antonelli beat Max Verstappen’s youngest F1 race leader record by three days as well as set the youngest fastest lap holder record at the Japanese Grand Prix. Yet he is still to score a podium finish in an F1 Sprint or Grand Prix with a personal-best finish of P4.
Antonelli could only come sixth in the Miami GP after qualifying third, as well, after fading in the race to finish 17.858 seconds behind teammate George Russell in third. The 27-year-old capitalised on a virtual safety car to jump Verstappen for P3 and held on after starting in P5.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli wants Mercedes to ‘analyse’ his lack of pace on the hard tyres in the Miami Grand Prix
Mercedes had already pitted Antonelli before the VSC period, having called the Italian in on Lap 25/57 while Russell stopped on L29. The Bologna boy was ahead of the Briton in fourth and fifth before the pit stops, yet had to stop sooner to cover an undercut from Alex Albon.
READ MORE: Know all about 2025 Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli including stats
But Antonelli struggled once on the hard C3 compound Pirelli tyres, and he soon lost P5 on the road to Williams driver Albon at Turn 1 on L31. He tried to fight back on the brakes, yet ran deep and lost the position to the London-born Thai who also created an 8.111s margin.
So, having struggled to maintain his challenge on the hard C3 tyres after leading Russell on the medium C4 tyres, Antonelli wants Mercedes to ‘analyse’ why his hopes fell away in the Miami GP. Russell also started on the hard C3 tyres, yet was on his tail before the pit stops.
Antonelli said, via quotes by Speedweek: “In the first stint, I felt good on the medium tyres. But in the second stint, I struggled a bit more on the hard tyres.
“Our pace wasn’t particularly good, which contributed to our sixth place. As a team, we need to analyse why that was and see where we can improve.”
What have Mercedes said about Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s Miami GP hard tyre problems?
Antonelli’s lack of speed on the hard tyres in the Miami GP saw him finish behind Albon and claim the Mercedes rookie’s fourth P6 finish amid the first six rounds of the 2025 F1 season. His best finish yet was on debut with P4 in the Australian Grand Prix in the mixed conditions.
But the Bologna boy showed his raw speed in Florida, as Antonelli scored pole for the Miami Sprint. Even if Damon Hill branded Antonelli’s first lap in the Miami Sprint ‘tragic’ after losing three places, before later falling down the order after being hit by Verstappen in the pit lane.
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin also saw a mitigating factor behind Antonelli’s P6 in the Miami GP after losing time in the pits by being held back as Carlos Sainz of Williams stopped. Yet Shovlin concedes Antonelli’s pace on the hards was not quite there.
“Kimi lost out when he pitted just before the VSC,” Shovlin explained, via Speedweek. “We had to bring him into the pits to protect him from Alex Albon in the Williams, who had a chance to undercut.
“Traffic in the pit lane cost Kimi time and, in the end, his pace on the hard tyres was only enough for sixth place. Nevertheless, it was another good weekend for him.”
