Lewis Hamilton trolled Mercedes replacement Kimi Antonelli during F1 LEGO race in Miami

Lewis Hamilton found himself at the center of a hilarious moment before the Miami Grand Prix when he jokingly trolled teenage Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli during Formula 1's unique LEGO driver parade. Held in place of the traditional pre-race parade, this light-hearted event featured all 20 drivers in ten custom-built LEGO cars at the Miami International Autodrome.

While fans enjoyed the novelty, Hamilton was left in stitches after spotting Antonelli on the phone mid-parade, poking fun at his Mercedes replacement with an on-air jab that instantly went viral. Hamilton sat behind teammate Charles Leclerc who piloted the custom red Ferrari-themed build, while Mercedes' George Russell drove 18-year-old Antonelli.

During the lap, cameras caught Antonelli answering a phone call, sitting behind Russell. Lewis Hamilton couldn't hold back his laughter, pointing out the moment live to the Ferrari garage and quipped:

"Him on the phone. Hey Kimi. He looks like he's doing business calls."

Leclerc, amused by the situation, joked that Kimi might be arranging team strategy in advance. The clip quickly made the rounds on social platforms, highlighting the rare camaraderie and comic relief that such off-track events offer.

The LEGO race was introduced as part of F1's ongoing push to merge sport with spectacle, especially at venues like Miami where entertainment is paramount. Replacing the usual flatbed parade, each of the 20 drivers took to the track in a nearly 1:1 scale LEGO car.

Each LEGO car used in the event was built using over 400,000 bricks, proper Pirelli F1 tires, a two-seater design, and weighing in at almost 1,000 kg, nearly double the mass of a real F1 car.

The vehicles could reach a top speed of 12 mph and took an astonishing 22,000 hours to construct, per Reuters. Sponsored by LEGO Group in collaboration with Formula 1, the project was seen as both a fan engagement tool and a tribute to the sport’s growing pop-cultural footprint.

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Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari struggles aren't about strategy, says former F1 driver and analyst

Lewis Hamilton talks with a teammate during Saudi Arabia F1 Grand Prix previews. Source: Getty

Jolyon Palmer, former F1 driver and respected pundit, offered a pointed assessment of Ferrari's on-track difficulties in Miami. Contrary to the chatter about strategic errors or miscommunication, Palmer argued that the root of Ferrari's P7 and P8 finish was far more fundamental, a lack of rear grip and downforce from the SF-25.

The incident came during the final stint when Lewis Hamilton pushed to catch Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli in P6. Ferrari allowed Leclerc to move aside and let Hamilton through three laps after being initiated by the Briton, who eventually failed to close the gap significantly. Palmer wrote for F1 (via GP Blog):

"Maybe they could have offered Lewis the chance to pass Charles a little sooner. In reality though, Lewis actually went no quicker once his teammate let him through. It clearly wasn't as clear cut as their new signing was suggesting."

Palmer dissected Ferrari's issues further:

"Every time we went onboard with Hamilton during qualifying, you could see him sliding on both axles, but particularly the rear. This is a clear indication that the car isn't producing enough downforce and the floor upgrade the team brought a few races ago is clearly still not working properly."

The floor was designed to enhance grip and address Ferrari's ride height sensitivity, but as Palmer highlighted, raising the car degrades performance quickly a problem Hamilton also faced in his final years at Mercedes. That same unpredictability now plagues him at Ferrari.

Six races into the season Ferrari stands fourth in the driver standings with Lewis Hamilton at seventh and Charles Leclerc fifth, heading into Imola next week.