Kimi Antonelli 'iPhone' problem during Miami Grand Prix explained by F1 insider

Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Japan, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Miami Grand Prix

Kimi Antonelli 'iPhone' problem during Miami Grand Prix explained by F1 insider

Kimi Antonelli suffered an unusual issue during Sunday's F1 race

Originally written by Kerry Violet. This version is a translation.

Monday 4 May 2026 23:00

Kimi Antonelli may have delivered another landmark victory at the Miami Grand Prix, but the race was far from straightforward for the young Mercedes driver.

Following an outstanding start to the 2026 season, Antonelli extended his lead at the top of the championship standings with victory in Miami, opening up an advantage over team-mate George Russell.

The success marked the third grand prix win of Antonelli’s career and also secured him a unique piece of Formula 1 history, becoming the first driver ever to turn his first three pole positions into race victories.

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And though his Miami GP win sounds a breeze on paper, the 19-year-old actually had to contend with much more than just competitive rivals out on track during the fourth race of the season.

During the 57-lap race, Antonelli also battled with overheating tyres and an electrical problem with his steering wheel, something which Sky Sports' Ted Kravitz compared to a faulty iPhone charging port.

Ted Kravitz reveals bizarre Mercedes problem at Miami GP

Kravitz then turned to a relatable issue for any iPhone users tuning into the broadcast to explain the steering problem Antonelli suffered.

"Essentially, the best way to describe it is that when you plug your iPhone in, and if you've had your iPhone for a long time, and that sort of slot that you plug the thing into is a bit worn. Or maybe you've dropped it once or twice and and it doesn't really connect, and you don't get the little green thing at the top. You think, 'oh, no, am I going to have to buy another phone?' This is really annoying. Same thing with his steering wheel.

"So the steering wheel, there's some little connection that wasn't quite tight on the steering wheel. It wasn't about to come off or anything, but when he pulled the paddle for a gear shift, there was a little bit of a delay. And then suddenly, if you imagine you're going around 200 miles per hour, you're thinking, 'what's going on here? I've got a paddle problem. A problem with the gearbox is it's not shifting. I've got a problem with the paddle', and it was just a little bit of hardware problem.

"The connection between the steering wheel and the 12 pin connector or whatever it is that goes from the steering wheel to the steering column and then from the steering column to the brains of the car, and everywhere else."

So there you have it. The unusual steering issue Antonelli managed to overcome in Miami, explained a la Ted's Notebook.

F1 Mercedes Kimi Antonelli Miami Grand Prix Ted Kravitz