Another Formula 1 race, another controversial incident at T1 of lap 1 (in this case lap 3) – this time involving young Italian Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

As usual, opinions are divided on whether the Australian, who took the lead after the opening corner, should have received a penalty. Telemetry data reveals the real picture behind this contentious clash which ultimately went unpunished.

Oscar Piastri once again brilliant off the line

Following yesterday’s Sprint Qualifying, significant track evolution created exciting strategic variation, as everyone tried to set their fastest lap as late as possible. Kimi Antonelli took full advantage of the optimal track conditions at the end of SQ3 and secured pole position.

Even the Italian himself admitted he was expecting a tough task ahead, given the McLaren’s clear pace advantage over the W16. However, wet conditions helped level the playing field and set the stage for proper wheel-to-wheel racing at the start.

So, should Oscar have been penalised?

Antonelli started the Sprint from pole position, which in Miami is on the left-hand side of the grid – the racing line.

Still, Oscar Piastri once again got an excellent start and rapidly closed in on the Mercedes driver. The speed graph below shows his superior acceleration in the early part of the lap. Moreover, telemetry clearly shows that the Australian used a higher throttle percentage, managing to stay aggressive without losing grip.

In situations like this, Piastri’s experience compared to Antonelli’s is invaluable. Let’s recall the previous race in Saudi Arabia, where Oscar also started from the dirtier side of the grid and managed to pass Max Verstappen before Turn 1.

As Piastri had already pulled ahead and had his front axle in front of Antonelli’s mirrors by the apex of Turn 1, according to the regulations, the corner was his.

It’s also important to note that before the start of this season, the FIA updated its racing guidelines – meaning that a driver with the corner advantage is no longer obliged to leave space on the outside.

Therefore, the stewards made the correct call, and Piastri rightfully took the lead after Turn 1 in the Sprint.

More from the Miami Grand Prix

👉 Uncovered: The W16 rear wing solution that contributed to Antonelli’s Sprint pole

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

It would have been interesting to compare telemetry from Lap 1 of the Sprint with their Sprint Quali laps – but given the wet conditions, such a comparison wouldn’t be meaningful.

Unfortunately for Antonelli, he had to go off track, and due to very poor grip on the wet surface, he couldn’t rejoin quickly. As a result, he lost positions to both Norris and Verstappen.

To make an already frustrating Sprint even worse for the Italian, Red Bull made a crucial error. An unsafe release of Verstappen into the pit lane prevented Antonelli from entering for his tyre change – causing him to lose even more time. He ultimately finished P11, outside the points.

Although similar on the surface, the Miami incident differs from the one last race weekend, which also involved Piastri. The key difference is that in Jeddah, Max gained an advantage by going off track – while in Miami, Oscar remained within the racing boundaries.

Another parallel can be drawn with the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, where Turn 1 contact involved Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Back then, the rules were different, and Verstappen received a five-second penalty which ultimately had no impact, given Red Bull’s dominance at the time.

What’s certain is that we’re in for a thrilling remainder of the Miami weekend, and Kimi definitely has a chance to bounce back from Sprint disappointment.

The W16 has shown solid pace on this circuit, and Mercedes drivers are ones to watch moving forward.

Read next: Thermal cameras and ‘tire water’ as Red Bull ‘unravel’ McLaren mystery