MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – World championship leader, 19-year old Kimi Antonelli continued his winning season form in Sunday’s Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, the Mercedes driver claiming his third consecutive victory in the four-race old season.
Antonelli had to hold off reigning world champion and 2024 Miami Grand Prix winner, McLaren Racing’s Lando Norris in a tightly contested final laps run to the checkered – the young Italian ultimately pulling away and winning by 3.264-second in one of the most action-packed competitive races in the Miami Grand Prix’s five-race history.
Best of all, the action stayed on the track, not in the sky.
Overcast, but dry weather at the 3.363-mile, 19-turn sold-out Miami International Autodrome around Hard Rock Stadium was a bonus as race organizers took the extraordinarily step of moving the race start up three hours in hopes of getting the race in between morning and expected evening rain showers.
In the early-going, drivers seemed to race frantically as if rain was a sure-bet – before eventually settling into more of a controlled pace. New technical regulations introduced just before this race certainly seemed to be effective in terms of keeping the cars closer and able to overtake at will.
Even if the outcome was familiar.
Not only is Antonelli the youngest championship leader in the sport’s storied history, but his three consecutive wins from pole position is also historic. He is the first to ever to win his first three career races from the lead spot on the grid.
He had to work at it Sunday, however, losing the lead at different times early to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and also to Norris, but he regained form during a pit stop exchange when his Mercedes’ crew proved itself quickest.
“I lost the place to Lando but then the pace was strong and I was able to stay close and then the team did a great strategy – we did a massive undercut and managed to bring it home even though it was not easy,’’ said the teenager Antonelli, who celebrated his win with sparkling rose water instead of champagne.
“This is just the beginning,’’ he added with a grin. “The road is still long, but we’re working super hard, and the team is doing an incredible job.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be here. So mainly thanks to them, to my family. And yeah, I’m going to enjoy this one, and then get back to work.’’
The runner-up showing was Norris’ best finish of the season and he was obviously encouraged after climbing out of his car.
“We just got undercut [on the pit stop], there’s no excuses other than that,’’ said Norris, who scored his career first win at Miami in 2024. “We got undercut. We should have boxed [pit] first.
“Kimi did a good job. They drive a good race. Easy to make mistakes. out there with the big braking zones and with these cars, but he didn’t make any big enough for me to capitalize on. So I have to be happy.”
The close racing characterized the grand prix from flag to flag and was particularly decisive in setting the final step on the Miami podium. The 2025 Miami winner, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri moved into third place only a couple corners from the checkered flag after Leclerc spun from the position on the last lap of the race.
“It’s not been the most straight forward of weekends, but more encouraging today and obviously the end of the race was a pretty late charge,’’ said Piastri, who has scored consecutive podium finishes now.
“We’re a step closer in performance once again. … Excited for the future.’’
Antonelli’s Mercedes teammate George Russell and four-time world champion, Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen rounded out the top-five with Leclerc nursing his Ferrari home in sixth place after running up front all afternoon.
The American Cadillac Formula 1 team claimed 16th (Sergio Perez) and 18th (Valtteri Bottas) in its first ever race on “home soil.”
Antonelli extended his world championship points lead to 20 over Russell (100-80) and Leclerc remains third, 37 points off Antonelli’s pace. Norris’ encouraging result places him fourth in the championship – 49 points behind Antonelli. Verstappen’s fifth place showing was his best of the season and he is now seventh in the standings.
The Formula One Series next race is May 24 in Canada.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Kimi Antonelli wins F1 Miami Grand Prix, extends championship lead
Reporting by Holly Cain, Special to The Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
