Kimi Antonelli resisted sustained pressure from Lando Norris to win the Miami Grand Prix, extending his Formula 1 championship advantage in a race whose start was moved forward by three hours due to forecast rain. Aside from a few mid-race spots, the downpour never arrived and the contest ran to full distance in dry conditions.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver secured his third consecutive victory and has now won three of the opening four rounds to move 20 points clear of team-mate George Russell. He is also the first driver to win their first three grands prix in a row from pole position. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri completed the podium, with Russell finishing fourth.
"This is just the beginning. The road is still long. We are working super hard and the team is doing an incredible job," Antonelli said.
Antonelli’s triumph came despite another sluggish launch — he has lost places off the line in all four grands prix and both sprint events this season. Into Turn One he was crowded by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on one side and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on the other. Verstappen dived to the inside but ran deep, was squeezed at Turn Two and spun through 360 degrees on the kerb. The four-time champion recovered to 10th and eventually climbed to fifth.
Early on, Leclerc led from Antonelli and Norris in a bout of “yo-yo” racing driven by differing energy deployment. Antonelli grabbed the lead on lap four, only for Leclerc to re-pass a lap later. A safety car on lap six neutralised the fight after two separate incidents: Isack Hadjar crashed his Red Bull at the final chicane, and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine was tipped into a somersault following contact with Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls at the last corner.
With both eyeing the radar for the predicted rain, strategy became decisive when it appeared the shower would not arrive. Mercedes blinked first, pitting Antonelli on lap 24 for fresh tyres. McLaren responded a lap later, but the undercut proved critical: Antonelli had done enough on his out-lap to stay ahead as Norris exited the pits.
From there, Norris shadowed the Mercedes within a second for an extended spell. Despite nursing gearshift niggles and overheating rear tyres, Antonelli held his nerve and eased a couple of seconds clear over the closing laps.
"We got undercut, no excuses," Norris said. "We should have boxed first. As a team we have to be happy. I am gutted to miss out on a win. It was possible today. Didn't have the pace to get back past him at the end." McLaren believed they still had the margin to emerge ahead despite the later stop, but time lost on Norris’ in-lap and a slow pit stop proved costly.
Verstappen’s recovery to fifth included a post-race five-second penalty for crossing the white line at pit exit, which did not change his finishing position. Separately, the stewards cleared Verstappen and Russell after minor contact between them.
Leclerc initially finished sixth but collected a 20-second penalty for leaving the track multiple times on the final lap after hitting a wall and damaging his car. The sanction dropped him to eighth and promoted his team-mate Lewis Hamilton from seventh to sixth.
The result underlines Antonelli’s rapid rise, leaving pre-season favourite Russell on the back foot, and highlights a revived McLaren after introducing upgrades in Miami. The season’s much-debated “yo-yo racing” — with frequent pace swings — was again on show. Next up, watch whether Antonelli can iron out his starts, if McLaren can convert pace into a win, and whether Red Bull can translate speed into cleaner weekends.
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*Originally published on [News Formula One](https://newsformula.one/article/antonelli-wins-miami-gp-over-norris-to-extend-title-lead). Visit for full coverage.*
