Kimi Antonelli brings it home to win eventful Miami Grand Prix

The start of the Miami Grand Prix was immediately full of drama, with action across the field from the very first corners. When the lights went out, Kimi Antonelli managed to get a better start than during the last race in Japan, but it was Charles Leclerc who somehow came through a crowded Turn 1 to take the lead. The field went almost four-wide into the opening corner, and there was instant chaos behind, as Max Verstappen spun. Despite the dramatic moment, he managed to continue after a full 360-degree spin, however, dropped out of the points-scoring positions.

The opening lap remained busy, with several incidents and close fights. Lewis Hamilton and Franco Colapinto made slight contact at Turn 11, while Verstappen quickly began recovering positions, battling aggressively through the midfield.

At the front, Leclerc held the lead ahead of Antonelli and Lando Norris, with Oscar Piastri and George Russell close behind. Russell soon made a move on Piastri to take fourth place, adding to the early position changes.

On lap 4, Antonelli briefly took the lead with a bold move down the inside of Leclerc at Turn 17, turning the fight at the front into a three-way battle with Norris close behind. However, the order continued to change quickly, and Leclerc soon regained control at the front.

There was more drama just a lap later, as Isack Hadjar crashed into the wall and was forced to retire. At the same time, both Leclerc and Norris managed to get ahead of Antonelli, reshaping the fight for the lead once again.

The race then took a more serious turn a few moments after, as Liam Lawson, who was experiencing technical issues, crashed into Pierre Gasly, whose Alpine flipped in the air and ended up in the wall. Although he confirmed he was okay, the incident together with Hadjar's one brought out a full Safety Car.

As the Safety Car period continued, drivers were warned about possible rain later in the race, adding another layer of uncertainty. At that stage, Colapinto was running strongly in seventh, while Verstappen had fallen as low as 16th after an early pit stop.

The race resumed on lap 12, and the action picked up immediately. Leclerc led the field away, followed by Norris and Antonelli. Just behind them, Piastri produced an excellent move around the outside of Russell to take fourth place, once again showing his confidence in wheel-to-wheel racing.

As the Safety Car peeled into the pits at the end of Lap 11, Charles Leclerc, followed by Norris and Antonelli, led the field back to green, but the calm did not last long.

Oscar Piastri immediately attacked George Russell into Turn 1 and moved up into fourth place. The McLaren driver was not happy with the move, saying it was “super dangerous”, while Russell later explained he had been in the wrong start mode.

At the front, the lead changed hands quickly. Lando Norris made his move at Turn 11 to take first place, while Kimi Antonelli and Leclerc continued their fight, showing that being ahead into Turn 17 was not always the best position for the next corner.

Further back, Max Verstappen was recovering strongly from his early spin and was already back inside the top 10 by Lap 16. He continued to push forward, passing both Williams drivers after a brief investigation for an earlier incident, which the stewards later decided required no further action.

Strategy then began to play an important role. Russell was one of the first to pit for hard tyres, and although Ferrari reacted with Leclerc a lap later, a slower stop meant Russell jumped ahead. There were also concerns about rain, but although a few drops appeared, the track stayed dry enough for slick tyres.

As the race continued, Verstappen caught Lewis Hamilton and passed him cleanly, while at the front Antonelli and Norris were locked in a close battle after their pit stops. Antonelli briefly lost position but quickly regained it once his tyres were up to temperature.

The lead changed again when Piastri pitted, briefly putting Verstappen in front, but the fight behind him was intense. Norris and Antonelli battled closely, with Norris defending well to stay in contention.

In the closing stages, tyre wear and small technical issues began to affect several drivers. Antonelli reported problems with his gearbox and rear tyres, but still managed to hold the lead. Behind him, Piastri, Russell and Leclerc were all fighting hard for the remaining podium places.

Leclerc managed to pass Verstappen late on, but the battle remained tight, with Piastri closing in quickly. With just a few laps to go, Russell also caught Verstappen, and their contact at Turn 1 left Russell with front wing damage.

On the final lap, the drama continued. Piastri made a decisive move at Turn 17 to take third place from Leclerc. The Ferrari driver then spun after contact and lost further positions, dropping down the order as Rusell and Verstappen moved past him.

After a long and chaotic race, Kimi Antonelli held on to take an impressive victory, with Lando Norris finishing second. Oscar Piastri completed the podium after his late overtake, while a dramatic final lap reshaped the order behind them.

George Russell finished fourth despite his late contact, with Max Verstappen coming home in fifth after recovering strongly from his early spin. Charles Leclerc crossed the line in sixth after his difficult final lap.

Lewis Hamilton took seventh place, while Franco Colapinto secured a solid eighth. Both Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon completed the top ten for Williams in ninth and tenth.

After the race, Verstappen was still set to be investigated for a possible infringement after crossing the white line at the pit exit, meaning the final classification could yet be subject to change.

2026 F1 Miami Grand Prix full results: