Kimi Antonelli warns that Mercedes may be less competitive during the upcoming race weekend in Miami. The 19-year-old driver – also the youngest World Championship leader in Formula 1 history – knows that many teams have brought significant upgrades to Florida. Mercedes itself comes with relatively little new material, so Antonelli will have to rely on his own performance if he wants to extend his lead.
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Antonelli was first asked by the media in Miami about the adjusted F1 regulations. Broadly speaking, drivers must now be able to drive at full throttle again during qualifying. In addition, the FIA hopes to further limit the large speed differences during races – as a result of differences in electric power. “I don’t think everything is immediately better with these changes, but it’s a good first step,” Antonelli responded. “We will see what the next step will be. In any case, it’s good that we are all working together to improve the sport,” he said diplomatically.
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Given the upgrades at the other top teams, it remains to be seen whether Mercedes will be as dominant as during the opening races. “It’s going to be a very interesting weekend,” Antonelli said. “Not much has changed for us, but other teams have made major updates. They have undoubtedly gotten closer. The only thing I can do is maximize my performance. Then we’ll see what the result will be.”
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