Kimi Antonelli beat Lando Norris to victory in a thrilling Miami Grand Prix to claim his third successive race win and extend his world championship lead to 20 points.
As in his previous two victories, Antonelli was unable to hold the lead from pole, dropping to third early, but the Mercedes driver regained the lead with a perfect undercut at the only round of pit stops. He and Norris emerged wheel‑to‑wheel at the pit exit before Antonelli held off the McLaren in a tense finale.
The 19‑year‑old Italian becomes just the third driver to record his first three Grand Prix victories consecutively, after Damon Hill and Mika Hakkinen.
George Russell limited the damage for Mercedes by finishing fourth, passing Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in a chaotic closing phase, meaning the gap between the Mercedes team‑mates at the top of the standings grew from seven to 20 points.
Antonelli said: “The pace was strong. I was able to stay close. The team did a great strategy. We did a massive undercut and we managed to bring it home, even though it was not easy. This is just the beginning. The road is still long. We are working super hard and the team is doing an incredible job.”
Miami GP Result: Top 10
1) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
2) Lando Norris, McLaren
3) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
4) George Russell, Mercedes
5) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
6) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
7) Franco Colapinto, Alpine
8) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
9) Carlos Sainz, Williams
10) Alex Albon, Williams
Oscar Piastri passed Leclerc on the penultimate lap to seal a McLaren double podium after the team’s upgrade produced a significant performance boost. Verstappen, also benefiting from Red Bull’s upgrades, recovered to fifth after an uncharacteristic spin at the start forced him to pit under an early Safety Car and manage ageing hard tyres late on.
Leclerc had taken the lead at the start but a slow pit stop blunted his race. He then spun and hit the barrier fighting back against Piastri, suffering damage that allowed Russell and Verstappen to get past in the final corners. Leclerc was later demoted to eighth by a 20‑second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage after the late incident. Verstappen received a five‑second penalty for crossing the white line at the pit exit, which did not change his finishing position.
Hamilton was promoted to sixth following Leclerc’s penalty, as Ferrari’s upgrade failed to deliver the intended effect this weekend. Mercedes’ ability to claim four wins from four races this season, despite delaying their major upgrade package until Canada, will be seen as a major boost ahead of Montreal.
There was early drama: Pierre Gasly was flipped after contact with Liam Lawson, and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar crashed at almost the same time, bringing out the Safety Car. Franco Colapinto recovered to seventh for Alpine. Williams enjoyed a strong result with Sainz and Albon both scoring points after the team reduced car weight.
The start time had been moved three hours earlier to avoid forecast storms, and the race unfolded under the constant threat of rain.
Antonelli’s weekend had not been flawless: a mistake in the Sprint yielded a five‑second penalty for track limits, and he again locked up off the line in the race. He benefited from Verstappen’s early spin to rejoin the leading fight and sat second behind Norris as the pit window approached. The decisive moment came at the end of lap 26 when Mercedes pitted Antonelli; McLaren responded one lap later for Norris. Antonelli’s strong out‑lap and a marginally faster stop left them nearly side‑by‑side exiting the pits, allowing the Mercedes driver to use his boost and slip into the lead. Norris said: “We just got undercut — no excuses other than that. We should have boxed first. Kimi did a good job. Hat’s off to Merc and Kimi… I’m gutted to miss out on a win here in Miami — I think it was possible today.”
Formula 1 now heads to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix and another Sprint weekend. Watch live on Sky Sports F1 on May 22-24.