Charles Leclerc has acknowledged his heated radio criticism of Kimi Antonelli during the Miami Sprint was overly harsh, but the Ferrari driver maintains concerns about the Mercedes youngster’s wheel-to-wheel racing approach. The incident occurred after Leclerc overtook the 19-year-old Italian following another poor start that Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff attributed to “a glitch on our side.”
During the 19-lap sprint race at Miami International Autodrome, Leclerc vented his frustration over team radio, declaring: “Kimi is so bad in wheel-to-wheel. He moved under braking. It’s unbelievable. We’re going to crash!” The Ferrari driver managed to hold off Antonelli’s challenge and secured the final podium position behind a McLaren one-two led by Lando Norris, while the Mercedes driver finished fourth before being demoted to sixth due to a five-second penalty for track limits violations.
Reflecting on his radio outburst, Leclerc admitted he was “being a bit harsh, maybe with the adrenaline inside the car.” However, the Monégasque driver emphasized that his concerns about Antonelli’s racing style remain valid, noting they have “had our moments with Kimi in the past” and expressing hope that future battles will be “calmer going forward.”
The Ferrari driver revealed mixed feelings about the situation, particularly given Antonelli’s status as the only Italian driver competing against the Italian team. “I wish it were with someone else, and I really like Kimi as well as a person,” Leclerc explained. “But sometimes it’s a little bit too close for comfort and not really needed as well. In this particular case, I was quite angry in the car, but the comments were probably a bit too harsh.”