Antonelli wins third straight Grand Prix, extends historic F1 run

Key facts

• Kimi Antonelli won the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, his third consecutive victory.
• He is the first driver in F1 history to win his first three poles and three races.
• Antonelli beat Lando Norris by 3.2 seconds at the finish line.
• Max Verstappen spun out on the first lap and finished fifth after a penalty.
• Charles Leclerc received a 20-second penalty for leaving the track, dropping to eighth.
• Pierre Gasly barrel-rolled after contact with Liam Lawson; both retired.
• The race start was brought forward three hours due to threatened rain, which never came.
• Antonelli leads teammate George Russell by 20 points in the championship.

A chaotic start reshapes the field

The 2026 Miami Grand Prix erupted into chaos from the first corner. Max Verstappen spun out of second place at Turn 1, while Lewis Hamilton and Franco Colapinto collided on the same piece of track halfway around the lap. Charles Leclerc surged to the front, but a three-way battle quickly formed with Kimi Antonelli, who had run wide at the first corner, and Lando Norris. An early Safety Car was deployed after Isack Hadjar clipped the wall at Turn 14 and slid out. Moments later, Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson made contact, sending Gasly into a barrel roll and ending both their races. The Alpine driver was pitched into the wall, flipping as he exited.

Antonelli seizes control after pit sequence

After the restart, Norris controlled the race as rain threatened, creating a strategic headache for teams. Through the pit sequence, Antonelli regained the lead while Norris slotted into second. An early stop and a long stint on hard tyres left Verstappen falling backwards in the latter stages. He fought but was passed by Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. On the penultimate lap, Piastri overtook Leclerc for the final podium spot, while Leclerc spun and hit the wall, finishing sixth. Antonelli held off Norris to win by 3.2 seconds, marking his third straight victory and extending his lead as the youngest championship leader in F1 history.

Penalties reshuffle the final standings

Post-race, Charles Leclerc was handed a 20-second time penalty for leaving the track multiple times, dropping him from sixth to eighth. This promoted Franco Colapinto to a career-best seventh. Max Verstappen received a five-second penalty for crossing the pit exit line, but his fifth-place classification remained unchanged. The final top six became: Antonelli, Norris, Piastri, George Russell, Verstappen, and Leclerc (after penalty). Lewis Hamilton brought a damaged Ferrari home in seventh, while Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon rounded out the top ten for Williams. Nico Hulkenberg retired due to technical problems.

Historic streak and championship implications

Antonelli's win made him the first driver in F1 history to win his first three pole positions and three race victories in consecutive events. The 19-year-old Italian now leads teammate George Russell by 20 points in the World Drivers' Championship. His third straight victory follows wins at the Chinese Grand Prix and Japanese Grand Prix in March. The victory extends Antonelli's lead as the youngest championship leader ever, a record he already held. The race was originally scheduled later but was brought forward three hours due to the threat of rain, which only produced a few spots mid-race.

Next stop: Canadian Grand Prix

The Formula 1 calendar now moves to the Canadian Grand Prix on May 24. Antonelli will look to continue his historic run as he aims for a fourth consecutive win. The Miami race demonstrated both his resilience—recovering from a poor start—and the strength of the Mercedes package. With a 20-point lead and momentum, Antonelli has established himself as the early championship favorite. However, McLaren's Norris and Piastri, along with Verstappen and Leclerc, will be eager to challenge in Montreal.

The bottom line

• Kimi Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix, his third straight win, and leads the championship by 20 points.
• He is the first driver to win his first three poles and races in F1 history.
• The race featured multiple incidents: Verstappen spin, Gasly barrel roll, and Leclerc penalty.
• Antonelli's win extends his record as the youngest championship leader.
• The Canadian Grand Prix on May 24 is the next race, where Antonelli will aim for a fourth win.
• McLaren's Norris and Piastri finished second and third, showing strong pace.