Third consecutive victory for Kimi Antonelli, who extends his lead in the World Championship. Followed by the McLarens. The Ferraris are further behind
After Sinner and Bulega, it’s time for Kimi Antonelli. Tennis, Superbike and Formula One: it is the image of a winning Italy in sport. It is worth mentioning, however, a great and unfortunate Charles Leclerc, who did everything in his power to grab yet another extraordinary podium but had to give up – also due to an error – on the last lap, still managing to bring his car to sixth place.
Antonelli therefore triumphs, for the third time in a rowconsolidating the leadership in the World Championship. Following, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri on McLaren. Off the podium a colorless Russell, a light and shadow Verstappen, the aforementioned Leclerc and a neither fish nor fowl Lewis Hamilton.
The departure and the first phase
At the start, a super Leclerc, who started third, overtakes the Antonelli-Verstappen duo. The latter, in an attempt to pass his rival, goes long and then spins which costs him several positions. After some overtaking and counter-overtaking, the Monegasque from Ferrari maintains the lead of the race, followed by the young talent from Mercedes and the reigning world champion Lando Norris. On lap six, Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) and Pierre Gasly (Apine) hit the wall and caused the Safety Car to intervene. Meanwhile, Verstappen takes advantage of the situation with a surprise move: he mounts the white tyre, probably hoping for rain in the final laps to mock the others (the rain will never come).
After the Safety Car
At the restart, the McLaren is very fast: Piastri passes in front of Russell and gains fourth place, while Norris and Antonelli overtake Leclerc and duel for first position. Verstappen recovers quickly and is once again a candidate for the first step of the podium together with Norris and Antonelli. The latter, with rare maturity, overtakes the reigning world champion coming out of the pits, and finally also the Dutchman.
Leclerc, who also momentarily slipped behind Russell, finally managed with great tenacity to pass the Englishman and also Verstappen. The latter, who held the hard tire very well for 40 laps, began to struggle and also gave way to Oscar Piastri. McLaren proves to be the best car in Miami, but today it is the driver who makes the difference. Antonelli, slightly in difficulty in the last ten laps, managed to keep Norris at a safe distancewithout ever taking risks. Leclerc, meanwhile, has to watch out for a much faster Piastri: the Monegasque tries to resist heroically, but (also thanks to an error, as he himself declared), he gives up positions and finishes sixth, ahead of his teammate.
The situation from a global perspective
Antonelli now leads the World Championship with a 20 point lead over teammate Russell and 37 over Leclerc. It remains to be seen whether Mercedes will maintain the superiority shown in the first three races or he will succumb to a McLaren that seems to have rediscovered much of the pace that allowed it to win the drivers’ and constructors’ titles last year. Certainly, it has a driver who, at 19 years old, demonstrates an extraordinary maturity. An Italian excellence and beyond that wants to continue to surprise, race after race, victory after victory. Ferrari, on the other hand, presented itself as the second power, must guard against the forceful return of the reigning champion team. The next race, in Canada, will be a decisive test to outline the probable consolidated hierarchies for 2026.
