Miami Grand Prix

The Miami Grand Prix did not ease into the weekend’s narrative. It disrupted it immediately.

Kimi Antonelli led early, but the opening laps were anything but stable. Max Verstappen pushed aggressively to hold position, only to lose the rear on throttle and spin — a moment that instantly reshaped the order. At the same time, Oscar Piastri moved forward decisively, gaining three positions as others struggled for control.

At the front, the lead began to rotate. Charles Leclerc and Antonelli exchanged positions repeatedly, while Lando Norris stayed close enough to capitalize.

The interruptions came quickly. Isack Hadjar hit the wall, triggering a virtual safety car. Not long after, Pierre Gasly suffered a far more dramatic incident — flipping and hitting the outside barriers. He was able to walk away, but the race was neutralised again under safety car conditions.

Even in those early phases, strategy began to diverge. Verstappen opted for an early stop, placing himself out of sequence but potentially ahead of the curve. Ferrari chose to extend — a decision that would later define their race.

Once the race resumed, the order stabilised briefly: Leclerc leading, Norris close behind, Antonelli still firmly in the fight.

But the race never settled for long.

Further back, Lewis Hamilton continued with visible damage, limiting his ability to move forward. George Russell faced his own issues, at one point running in the wrong strategy mode and later struggling with pace, even sliding heavily through multiple corners.

The expected rain added another layer.

Ferrari reacted early. Leclerc pitted, but the stop — combined with the timing — proved costly. The rain had not yet arrived, and the decision dropped him down the order, sacrificing both track position and momentum. His frustration was immediate and clear, questioning the call as the conditions had not justified it.

Moments later, light rain began to appear — but not enough to validate the earlier gamble.

Through this phase, Antonelli regained control of the race. Managing tyre temperature carefully in the rising heat, he remained composed while others adjusted. Verstappen briefly cycled into the lead through strategy, but his extended tyre usage forced another stop, removing him from contention at the front.

The closing stages became increasingly compressed.

Leclerc and Verstappen traded positions multiple times in a tense sequence, each retaking the place within corners. Piastri continued to apply pressure from behind, while Norris remained the closest challenger to Antonelli.

Track limits warnings began to appear, even drawing attention to Antonelli, though no further action followed. Elsewhere, minor contact and defensive driving added to the intensity, with overtakes becoming more aggressive as laps ran out.

By the final laps, the order was set — but not without drama.

Leclerc briefly lost control, nearly spinning out entirely, before recovering and continuing. Behind him, Russell suffered a late issue with visible smoke from the car, yet managed to finish.

At the front, Antonelli remained untouched.

Calm, controlled, and precise, he secured his third consecutive win — a result that places him in a category no teenager in Formula 1 history has reached before.

Race Result:

1. Kimi Antonelli
2. Lando Norris
3. Oscar Piastri

For Norris, the result carried frustration. After winning the sprint, the expectation was clear — but strategy and timing ultimately worked against him.

In Miami, the race was not defined by speed alone.

It was shaped by decisions — and by who managed them best.