Miami GP: Antonelli frustrated after controversial first-corner incident, Piastri claims sprint race edge

Controversial Start Mars Miami GP Sprint Race

Miami Gardens, Fla. — Saturday’s Miami GP sprint race sparked controversy after a tense first-corner battle between Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Oscar Piastri left the Mercedes rookie disheartened and questioning the stewards’ decision. The incident — which went unpunished — led Antonelli to voice concerns about the precedent it sets for wheel-to-wheel racing at the start of Formula 1 races.

First-Corner Controversy

Antonelli, fresh off a stellar qualifying performance that earned him pole position, was overtaken at the first corner of the 19-lap dash. Piastri, driving aggressively, surged past Antonelli on the inside line and pushed the Mercedes driver wide, sending him into the run-off area.

The stewards noted the clash but ultimately chose not to investigate further, a decision that left Antonelli visibly irritated.

“It was a great opportunity, but I’m a bit annoyed about Lap 1 with how it went,” Antonelli told Sky Sports after the race. “I mean, it seems like it’s like this, that you can basically do whatever you want — so it’s good to know for the future. Definitely it’s a shame, but luckily we have qualifying to bounce back.”

The incident mirrored a similar move Piastri made against Max Verstappen at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix two weeks ago, which also escaped penalty.

Toto Wolff's Criticism

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff didn’t hold back in his post-sprint analysis. Clearly frustrated, Wolff argued that allowing such aggressive tactics without punishment sends the wrong message about racing etiquette.

“I don’t think we are setting good precedents,” Wolff said. “You are just releasing the brake and then you’re just pushing the other guy off. It’s for the junior formulas also.

“I think you need to leave a car’s space. It’s kind of crept in — Turn 1, you push them out. It’s Kimi’s sixth race, and he’s learned a lesson that this is what you need to do. I don’t entirely agree with that, but that’s how we’ve allowed it for a few years now.”

Pit Lane Chaos

Antonelli’s frustrations compounded later in the race when a pit lane mishap involving Red Bull sabotaged his chances of a strong finish. A chaotic spate of pit stops for slick tires midway through the race saw Red Bull release Verstappen’s car directly into Antonelli’s path, forcing the Mercedes driver to slam on the brakes and continue for an additional lap before returning for fresh tires.

The delay left Antonelli out of contention for points and prompted Wolff to criticize what he perceived as a lack of safety awareness in the Red Bull garage.

“If it was the main race, that would have been seriously annoying,” Wolff fumed. “But I’m surprised at the total lack of judgment there. It wasn’t even close with releasing without any security concerns. Somebody panicked there.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner offered a brief but composed response to the incident, acknowledging the mistake.

“Yeah, look, it was a human error,” Horner admitted. “We’ll learn from it.”

Challenges Ahead for Antonelli

For Antonelli, the Miami GP sprint marked another difficult chapter in his fledgling F1 career. While the young Mercedes driver has shown exceptional potential, moments like these underscore the steep learning curve at the sport’s highest level.

All eyes now turn to Sunday’s main race, where Antonelli will look to regroup and capitalize on the clean slate provided by a fresh start. But whether the stewards' leniency at Turn 1 will play a defining role remains to be seen.

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