Antonelli beat Colapinto by half a second in one sector. Then kept it.

The Mercedes didn't just nail the first five turns in Miami. It held that advantage through every corner that followed.

Kimi Antonelli was 0.504 seconds faster than Franco Colapinto in Sector 1. He was 0.255 seconds faster in Sector 2. He was 0.205 seconds faster in Sector 3.

He finished P1. Colapinto finished P8.

Key Finding

Antonelli was over half a second faster through Sector 1. He finished P1. Colapinto finished P8.

The damage was done before the back straight

ANT vs COL — sector-by-sector breakdown

Look at S1: half a second. Then watch S2 and S3 — the gap doesn't close, it compounds.

▲ ANT faster▼ COL faster

S1: +0.504s · S2: +0.255s · S3: +0.205s

Key Finding

Antonelli was over half a second faster through Sector 1. He finished P1. Colapinto finished P8.

The Miami circuit begins with a slow chicane, a tight hairpin at Turn 4, and a rising left-hander at Turn 5. Antonelli's Mercedes was half a second faster through those five corners than Colapinto's Alpine. That is the entire story.

The Alpine didn't claw anything back. S2 added another quarter-second. S3 added another two-tenths. By the time both cars reached the line, Antonelli's lap time was 87.798 seconds. Colapinto's was 88.762. The gap was 0.964 seconds. More than half of it came from the first five turns.

Speed is easy to carry when you arrive with more of it

ANT (Lap 14) vs COL (Lap 16) — fastest laps compared

Follow the blue line through the first complex — it's already pulling clear before the straight.

ANT (Lap 14)COL (Lap 16)

Fastest laps: ANT Lap 14, COL Lap 16.

Key Finding

Antonelli was over half a second faster through Sector 1. He finished P1. Colapinto finished P8.

Qualifying is a blunt instrument. The car that is fastest through the slowest corners wins. Antonelli set his fastest lap on Lap 14. Colapinto set his on Lap 16. Both were on soft tyres. Antonelli's degradation rate was 1.157 seconds per lap. Colapinto's was negative — his tyres were improving.

It didn't matter. You cannot recover half a second from low-speed mechanical grip by hoping your tyres come in two laps later.

Key Finding

Antonelli was over half a second faster through Sector 1. He finished P1. Colapinto finished P8.

Colapinto had four lap times deleted for track limits at Turn 15. Antonelli had one deleted at Turn 5. Both drivers were pushing. One car had the front-end bite to do it cleanly.

Montreal is next. Six chicanes, two hairpins, and a wall on every apex. Antonelli will arrive with the same car. Colapinto will arrive with the same problem.

Alistair Drum

@@alistair_drum

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