MIAMI — Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, the youngest championship leader in F1 history, will seek to complete a hat-trick of early season victories at the weekend, as Formula One returns after a month's enforced absence due to the conflicts raging in the Middle East.

The 19-year-old Mercedes driver, triumphant in China and Japan, leads teammate George Russell, who won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, by nine points ahead of what is, effectively, the start of another season, complete with more revised rules and widespread car upgrades, at the Miami Grand Prix.

"After a month without any racing, we are ready to get back on track," said Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff.

"We've used this break to analyze the opening races, address our weaknesses and raise our level.

"We've started the season well, but that counts for very little if you stand still. We know our competitors will have used this time to improve and build a deeper understanding of their cars, so we expect the field to be closer in Miami.

"That's the reality of F1 — it's a challenge we must rise to."

Antonelli's early triumphs made him the first Italian driver since Alberto Ascari in 1953 to win two consecutive races. Ascari completed his treble that season.

Wolff also addressed the tweaks to the new regulations that will be introduced in Miami, aimed at making the cars, and the spectacle more natural, with reduced battery recharging in qualifying and increased super-clipping to reduce dangerous speed differentials.

He said the revised rules would "respect the DNA of our sport", and deliver an improved spectacle without any significant reduction to Mercedes' early-season performance advantage.

For Mercedes, Sunday's race is an opportunity for a first win in Florida since the event was launched five years ago. It has been won twice by four-time champion Max Verstappen for Red Bull, and twice by McLaren with a win apiece for reigning world champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri.

'Completely new car'

They will harbor hopes of claiming points, too, with success in Saturday's sprint race, which was won last year by Norris.

Ferrari, however, is widely expected to be a strong contender when it arrives in Miami. Like McLaren, Ferrari is bringing an almost "completely new car", with a heavily revised package.

"It was one of our best tracks for pure pace, compared to others, last year," said Norris. "It's a different track, and it may still suit us a little more than others."

After winning in 2022 and 2023,Verstappen will be aiming to stop Mercedes' winning run and revive Red Bull's challenge this year after a discouraging start. He is ninth, on 12 points, 60 adrift of Antonelli, with teammate Isack Hadjar in 12th place on four points.

Ferrari's duo of Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton is third and fourth, respectively, on 49 and 41 points, with many paddock observers suggesting Ferrari is poised to fight for a first win since Carlos Sainz's success in Mexico in October 2024.

Leclerc's eighth and last win came in Austin, Texas, shortly before Sainz's triumph, while Hamilton is chasing his 106th win and first since the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix — before he joined Ferrari. After a desultory first year, the Briton said he is relishing the challenge of a new formula that has seen him rediscover his racing mojo.

"We're all recharged after the break," said Russell, expressing the feelings of most drivers.

"I'm hoping we can continue where we left off."

It will also mark United States newcomer Cadillac's first racing appearance on home soil when Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas venture onto the grid at Hard Rock Stadium in a new American livery.

AFP