Kimi Antonelli wins Miami Grand Prix, extends championship lead to 20 points

Key facts

• Kimi Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix, his third consecutive victory.
• Antonelli leads teammate George Russell by 20 points in the championship.
• Oscar Piastri finished third for McLaren, ahead of Russell in fourth.
• Antonelli took pole position with a lap of 1min 27.798sec.
• Max Verstappen qualified second, 0.15 seconds behind Antonelli.
• Race start was moved from 4pm to 1pm local time due to forecast thunderstorms.
• Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren all brought major upgrades to Miami.

Antonelli withstands Norris pressure in dry Miami race

Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes held off McLaren’s Lando Norris in a race-long battle to win the Miami Grand Prix, taking a commanding lead in the Formula One world championship. The 19-year-old Italian’s third win in a row moves him 20 points ahead of teammate George Russell, who finished fourth. The race, initially a three-car fight involving Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, distilled into a tense duel between Antonelli and Norris as the grand prix ran its full distance in dry conditions.

Threatened rain fails to materialise after early start

The long-threatened rain, which had caused the race start to be brought forward by three hours to 1pm local time, never materialised apart from a few spots mid-race. The FIA, Formula One, and the Miami promoter issued a joint statement on Saturday announcing the earlier start due to heavy thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon. Despite the precaution, the race proceeded without interruption, allowing Antonelli to showcase his pace over the full distance.

Verstappen’s resurgence hints at tighter title fight

Max Verstappen, who qualified second for Red Bull, enjoyed his best qualifying of the season, pushing Antonelli to just over a tenth of a second. Verstappen said the upgrades to his car made it “a lot more comfortable to drive” and that he no longer felt “like a passenger.” Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren all brought major upgrades to Miami, appearing to close the gap on Mercedes, who did not introduce substantial developments until the next round in Canada.

Mercedes holds pole streak as rivals close in

Antonelli claimed his third straight pole, reasserting Mercedes’ pace at the front of the field. However, Norris and Piastri had taken a dominant one-two in the sprint race on Saturday, and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff conceded after the sprint that the team had made up little ground in Miami. Antonelli acknowledged the development fight ahead, saying, “It’s not really a surprise about other teams catching up… whoever is going to be able to bring more upgrades and more potent ones is going to make the difference.”

Qualifying showdown: Antonelli edges Verstappen by 0.15 seconds

In qualifying, Antonelli delivered a controlled lap of 1min 27.798sec, putting three-tenths on Leclerc in the final sector. Norris had set a benchmark of 1min 28.183sec, but Verstappen and Leclerc surpassed it before Antonelli’s final run. On the final hot laps, Antonelli did not improve, but only Verstappen came close, securing second place by just over a tenth and a half. Russell, meanwhile, could manage only fifth, four-tenths off his teammate.

Russell and Mercedes face internal gap as development race looms

George Russell, who described the advances by rivals as “daunting,” will be concerned he could not get closer to his teenage teammate. Antonelli has now won two of the past three races, and his championship lead over Russell stands at 20 points. Mercedes plans to bring substantial upgrades for the next round in Canada, while Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren have already deployed theirs in Miami, setting the stage for a fierce development battle.

The bottom line

• Kimi Antonelli’s third straight win gives him a 20-point championship lead over teammate George Russell.
• Max Verstappen’s second-place qualifying and improved car handling signal a potential resurgence for Red Bull.
• The race start was moved three hours earlier due to forecast thunderstorms, which never materialised.
• Mercedes did not bring major upgrades to Miami, unlike rivals Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren.
• Antonelli and Verstappen will be key contenders as the development race intensifies ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.