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Toto Wolff unhappy with Miami Grand Prix driver actions

Toto Wolff was not happy with a turn 1 incident

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Wednesday 7 May 2025 04:00

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has hit out at drivers setting a bad example for rookies with their turn one actions.

The Miami International Autodrome saw controversial turn one incidents in both the sprint race and the main race, hampering two different drivers' races respectively.

During the sprint race, Kimi Antonelli was pushed off-track when fighting for position with Oscar Piastri, and fell down the order to fourth in the first corner, having originally started the race from pole position.

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Then, in the main race, Max Verstappen got his elbows out into turn one, forcing Lando Norris to take avoiding action by heading off-track, causing him to plummet down the order to sixth.

Neither Piastri nor Verstappen were deemed to be in the wrong, however, with both drivers appearing to be ahead at the apex heading into turn one, meaning they both had the right to the corners in the two races, and it was up to the others to try and attempt a risky overtake.

"I don’t think we are setting good precedents," Wolff told Sky Sports F1 after the sprint.

"You are just releasing the brake and then you are 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 one, you push them out. It’s Kimi’s sixth race and he’s learnt 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."

Antonelli makes history

While the weekend started off with elation for Antonelli, becoming the youngest pole sitter in the history of the sport, that quickly turned to disappointment.

The Italian was frustrated to come away with an 11th-place finish in the sprint having started on the front row, although that was later converted to seventh following some post-race penalties for drivers, handing him two points.

Antonelli then outqualified his team-mate in main race qualifying, the first time he has done that in his short F1 career, and started the race up in third.

However, it was team-mate George Russell who took home yet another grand prix podium, while Antonelli had to settle for a sixth-place finish.

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Max Verstappen Mercedes Lando Norris Oscar Piastri Toto Wolff Kimi Antonelli