The 2025 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix was highly anticipated and largely delivered on its promise of excitement.
The initial laps were full of action, featuring strong wheel-to-wheel racing between pole-sitter Max Verstappen and the championship leader, Oscar Piastri. Lando Norris also made a determined charge towards the front after a difficult start.
After 57 intense laps, the increasingly impressive Piastri secured his third consecutive F1 victory, his fourth of the season, and extended his remarkable streak of points finishes to 32 straight weekends. He achieved this in a confident and assured manner, significantly increasing his lead in the world championship standings.
The expected rainstorm that was much talked about ultimately bypassed the Hard Rock Stadium venue. Three Virtual Safety Car periods, instead of a full Safety Car that regroups the field, meant the latter half of the race didn`t get the reset that might have changed the strategy picture. Nevertheless, there was still plenty to analyze and discuss.
Rising Talent and Early Drama
18-year-old Kimi Antonelli`s performance, securing pole position for the Miami Sprint race and starting third for the main Grand Prix on Sunday, was a definite highlight and a positive story. He represents a new wave of talent and is clearly a future star, despite showing some raw, slightly uncontrolled pace in both races. He will undoubtedly refine this as he gains experience – he`s a quick study.
Lando Norris benefited from a well-timed Safety Car to win the Sprint race, similar to how he secured victory in the Grand Prix last year. However, having to avoid Verstappen`s sliding Red Bull in the opening two corners of Sunday`s main race cost him a potential shot at another outright win.
Max was clearly determined not to let a McLaren slip up the inside at Turn 1 again, a move that had worked in Jeddah. However, he approached the corner too aggressively and locked up his front tires. Lando went underneath him, got on the power, and had a clear road ahead with the rest of the field behind him – it was the correct and only move for him to make. But Max had another moment of instability in Turn 2, and Lando, now on the outside, quickly ran out of room, forcing him into the runoff area and costing him four positions.
Piastri vs Verstappen, Norris Fights Back
Once Piastri overtook Antonelli for second place, he aggressively pursued the leader, Verstappen. Piastri demonstrates excellent race craft, which appears slightly more effective and precise than Norris`s, a fact that Verstappen is also aware of.
On lap 14, Piastri successfully pressured Verstappen into a defensive line at Turn 1, forcing him off the ideal path, tight to the inside, and causing him to brake too late. Piastri instinctively reacted to the developing Red Bull slide, adjusting his position perfectly before cutting underneath and seizing a lead he would maintain until the end.
Meanwhile, Norris skillfully navigated past Alex Albon`s Williams and both Mercedes cars driven by Antonelli and George Russell. It was a stylish recovery drive. However, Norris couldn`t apply the same kind of strategic pressure on Verstappen as Piastri did. By the time he finally made a decisive move past Verstappen on lap 18 (having had to briefly hand the position back on the previous lap for an off-track overtake), his teammate Piastri had built a nine-second lead.
McLaren`s Double Success and Other Stories
In a weekend where McLaren achieved a double one-two finish across the two races (Sprint and Main GP), a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) deployed when Ollie Bearman`s Haas stopped trackside proved perfectly timed for the team. They executed a well-spaced double-stacked pit stop just before the VSC ended and racing speeds resumed.
From that point onwards, the two McLarens were significantly faster than the rest of the field, approximately a second per lap quicker. Norris pushed hard to close the gap to Piastri, revealing the true, unhindered pace of the car on a long run in dry conditions.
George Russell had seemed to struggle throughout the event, lacking a couple of tenths of pace, but he drove a smart race, managing his car and tires effectively. A timely pit stop under the VSC on lap 29 also helped him move up to third place, ultimately securing another podium finish. His race was nearly compromised in the final 15 laps due to painful stomach cramps.
Russell`s move to third was aided by the VSC, but Max Verstappen kept the pressure on him in the closing stages, even suggesting to his team that George hadn`t lifted the throttle sufficiently under a yellow flag. Red Bull formally protested this after the race, but the Stewards rejected it, stating the protest was “not founded.”
Midfield Highlights and Struggles
Fifth place went to Alex Albon after another strong and competitive drive. This performance confirmed Williams as the fourth-fastest team on the day, a pace they had shown hints of all weekend. Albon missed out on points in the Sprint due to a Safety Car technicality but is clearly in the form of his career.
Carlos Sainz in the other Williams had an eventful race, carrying damage from first-lap contact with his teammate. Unlucky VSC pit stop timing meant he ended up behind the two Ferraris. He also made an ambitious attempt to overtake Lewis Hamilton on the final lap, resulting in contact with the driver who will replace him at Ferrari next year. The stewards deemed it “avoidable contact” and found both drivers equally at fault, taking no further action.
Antonelli finished sixth, disadvantaged by pitting four laps before the VSC. As expected, he still needs to refine his tire management skills over longer, hotter stints.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished seventh and eighth after swapping positions and enduring some frustrating radio exchanges with their team. Leclerc finished 57 seconds behind the leader in a 57-lap race, illustrating just how far off the pace Ferrari were on what proved to be a difficult weekend for them.
Hamilton started on hard compound tires and finished on mediums, while Leclerc did the opposite. When their strategies converged, Hamilton rapidly caught his teammate and expected to be let through quickly, but the team hesitated for three laps. While broadcasting some radio calls might seem unfair, it`s undeniably part of the F1 spectacle. Lewis`s frustrated comments about taking a “tea break” or asking if he should let the Williams pass too were certainly memorable, although the team and drivers presented a united front after the race to downplay the issue.
Leclerc was eventually allowed back past Hamilton as Lewis`s medium tires faded, but he couldn`t catch Antonelli in the final laps.
Other Notable Mentions
Yuki Tsunoda secured 10th place for Red Bull, just managing to hold off Isack Hadjar`s RB despite receiving a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane. This result meant that points were shared among five teams – McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, Williams, and Ferrari – with two cars from each team finishing in the top ten.
Aston Martin were noticeably the slowest cars in the race. Unless they have significant upgrades planned soon, it appears it could be a long and challenging year for the Silverstone-based squad, which is unfortunate for Formula 1 as a whole.
With the relentless race schedule, we are already a quarter of the way through the Grand Prix calendar and a third of the way through the six scheduled Sprint races. We now have a week to catch our breath before the European season kicks off with a triple-header of races in Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona.
