Charles Leclerc has acknowledged that he was overly critical of Kimi Antonelli after venting his frustration during Saturday’s Miami Grand Prix sprint race. The Ferrari driver, 28, expressed anger toward the 19-year-old Mercedes star for his aggressive driving style.
Antonelli finished fourth on the road but was handed a five-second penalty for repeatedly exceeding track limits, dropping him to sixth place.
“Kimi is very sloppy in wheel-to-wheel battles. He moves under braking. It’s unbelievable. We’re going to crash,” Leclerc exclaimed over the radio during the race, in which he finished third.
Later, the Monegasque softened his stance. “Maybe I was a bit harsh, but the adrenaline was running high inside the car,” he said. “It’s true we’ve had our moments with Kimi in the past, and I hope things calm down going forward. Especially because he’s the only Italian on the grid in front of Ferrari.”
“I’d rather it was with another driver. I really like Kimi as a person,” Leclerc added. “Sometimes he’s just too close to the edge, and it’s not necessary. So in this specific case, I was quite angry in the car. But my words were probably too harsh.”
Antonelli is the youngest championship leader in Formula 1 history and the first Italian to win two consecutive races since Alberto Ascari in 1953—a feat that has raised expectations in Italy, where Ferrari is revered.
The Italian had a poor start on Saturday, dropping from second to fourth, and struggled with grip. “After that, I was really frustrated and didn’t even drive well. I made a lot of mistakes and got penalized for track limits—something I have to avoid,” he admitted. “This weekend has been more challenging, but it was expected because everyone brought big upgrades. We just need to maximize the result and now focus on qualifying.”