In a race packed with tension, changing conditions and relentless pressure, Kimi Antonelli delivered again. The 19-year-old held off a charging Lando Norris to secure his third consecutive victory at the Miami Grand Prix, tightening his grip on the championship.
The decisive moment came in the pit lane. Antonelli pitted a lap earlier, executed a clean undercut, and emerged ahead of Norris. From there, he stayed composed, managing pace and pressure like a seasoned driver to extend his title lead to 20 points over teammate George Russell.
Kimi Antonelli Leading the Race
After winning both China and Japan, Kimi Antonelli has taken his performance level from being consistent to taking control of the championship standings. A five-week break from racing did not hinder him; when he came back to Miami, he earned the pole position and converted it into a win despite being under pressure.
At the age of 19, he became the youngest driver ever to lead the Driver’s Championship; this kind of performance will start moving him from a “promising young driver” to being viewed as a legitimate contender for the championship title.
Lando Norris Pushes Hard, But Falls Short
Lando Norris came into Sunday with momentum after winning Saturday’s sprint and looked sharp throughout the race. He even took the lead early and built a solid gap.
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But the strategy flipped the race.
Kimi Antonelli’s earlier stop gave him track position, and Lando Norris, despite pushing hard in the closing laps, couldn’t get close enough to attempt a move.
The McLaren driver had the pace, but not the track position, when it mattered.
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The race began with a bang! On the very first lap, Max Verstappen had a wild spin while racing side-by-side and had significant damage, causing him to fall behind the pack, nearly putting an end to his race right away, but eventually he made it back to 5th place.
At the front of the race, the action was non-stop with Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc repeatedly swapping positions and Lando Norris working his way into the battle for the lead.
It was only the beginning, but after just a couple of laps, it was evident that the race would be anything but straightforward.
The first safety car period occurred following a very hard crash involving Pierre Gasly, who flipped his Alpine after making contact with another competitor.
Gasly was uninjured, but the safety car caused all teams to have to re-evaluate and adjust their strategies across the board.
Strategy, Weather and Precision
The weather hung over the race all afternoon. An early lightning storm forced officials to move the start time forward, and while rain never fully arrived, the threat was enough to complicate decisions.
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Kimi Antonelli’s team got it right. Pitting on Lap 26, one lap before Lando Norris, proved decisive. The undercut worked perfectly, and once ahead, Kimi Antonelli didn’t make a single mistake.
Behind them, Oscar Piastri secured third, while George Russell fought back to fourth after a difficult weekend. Leclerc’s late spin cost him positions, and a penalty dropped him further down the order.
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