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Kimi Antonelli reckons a solution to his poor race starts in the 2026 Formula 1 campaign must be quickly found - labelling it as a “fundamental” issue.
The Mercedes driver has lost 18 positions on lap one across the first three rounds of the season, yet he still leads the championship after winning in China and Japan.
There are various reasons behind his lap one struggles, as a lack of battery power cost him at the Melbourne opener, while in Japan he suffered from wheelspin after dropping the clutch too deep.
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Kimi Antonelli reveals target for F1 spring break It comes amid changes to the race start procedure under the new-for-2026 regulations, as drivers must now rev their engines high for at least 10 seconds to spool up the turbo following the removal of the MGU-H.
This comes with safety concerns though, and changes have been made ahead of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix where the FIA will test a so-called “low power start detection system”.
It is capable of identifying cars with significantly low acceleration shortly after clutch release, triggering an automatic MGU-K deployment “to ensure a minimum level of acceleration”.
Race start
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Race start
But Antonelli still doesn’t think that will be the solution to his woes, as the 19-year-old said in Miami: “My issue is more fundamental, so I think it’s not that this tweak is going to help me massively.
“We have been doing some practice starts, of course, in the break. We’ve been working with the team to try and recognise what’s the issue and we seem to have found it.
“Now we’re trying to obviously think about a solution as soon as possible and then obviously we know where to work on for the solution.
“So, it’s not going to be that straightforward because it needs a change on the clutch paddle and a little bit on hand positioning as well, so definitely it’s not going to be as straightforward.
“But we are doing our best to find that solution as soon as possible in order to be able to do decent starts. But definitely, we recognised that my issue was much more fundamental.
“Now we’ll see in Miami if we can do a step forward and then obviously we have another break after Miami, so more time to work on and to find that solution.”
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Montreal is the round after Miami on the 22-24 May and Antonelli is expected to arrive still in a title fight with team-mate George Russell, who he currently leads by nine points.
When asked about how he’s coping with the mental pressure of his first F1 championship battle, Antonelli replied: “For sure, there will be a lot of pressure in case the opportunity comes.
“But we’re in a really good position and obviously the goal is to maintain this position until the end of the year. But for sure it’s going to be a tough fight because, first of all, I have a very strong team-mate who is up there and is always there, delivering the performance.
“And then, Ferrari, they’re close; McLaren, definitely we’ll see this weekend much better their true pace; Red Bull, they will definitely get closer.
“So I think on my side, I’m just going to try to focus race by race, not trying to think about the end result or championship, just trying to stay present in the moment, just trying to do my best and focus on the progress.
“I’m very well aware that it’s not going to be easy and that the pressure is going to be high, but I’m also aware that if I just focus on my things without worrying too much about the rest, then we can do great things.”
Photos from Miami GP - Thursday
George Russell, Mercedes
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George Russell, Mercedes
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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Lando Norris, McLaren
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The Ferrari front wing
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The Ferrari front wing
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal of Cadillac F1 Team, Terry Crews
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Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal of Cadillac F1 Team, Terry Crews
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Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
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Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
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Nigel Mansell
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Nigel Mansell
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
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Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
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Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Racing Bulls team photo
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Racing Bulls team photo
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Alexander Albon, Williams
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Alexander Albon, Williams
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Alexander Albon, Williams
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Alexander Albon, Williams
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
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Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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Oscar Piastri, McLaren
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A general view of the paddock inside Hard Rock Stadium
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A general view of the paddock inside Hard Rock Stadium
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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The front wing of the Haas F1 Team VF-26
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The front wing of the Haas F1 Team VF-26
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
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Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Carlos Sainz, Williams
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Carlos Sainz, Williams
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team
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Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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