The Key Figures of Miami GP

The show in the Miami paddock also made its way onto the track. On Saturday, the rain unleashed chaos during the sprint race, where the McLarens flew and secured a one-two finish, with Norris in first place. Antonelli missed out on the podium despite claiming his first pole position in Formula 1, and Hamilton rounded out the top three. On Sunday, Piastri once again asserted his dominance, taking his fourth win of the year, followed by his teammate, Lando Norris. Another statement from the Woking team, who proved to be well ahead of their rivals, finishing with a 35-second gap.

On the up

The face of Miami has been Oscar Piastri, who strengthened his lead in the championship with his fourth win of the season — his third in a row — something no McLaren driver had achieved since Mika Hakkinen in 1997/1998. Despite starting fourth on the grid, he outdrove Verstappen with patience and precision, ultimately overtaking the Dutchman. The Australian has shown that his teammate will have a hard time taking the top spot from him. Norris’ biggest rival this season sleeps under the same roof — and his name is Oscar Piastri.

Credit also goes to the British team, who, after their one-two in China, secured another one-two finish and made it clear that, for now, they’re operating on a different level.

On the down

Things didn’t go Verstappen’s way this weekend. His chances of a podium in the sprint race vanished after a team error during the pit stop. Mid-race, Max entered the pits and collided with Antonelli, who was just coming in for a tire change. The FIA handed Verstappen a ten-second penalty, dropping him to seventeenth place. On Sunday, despite starting from pole, the Dutchman couldn’t keep up with the pace of the McLarens — or George Russell — on a day when Red Bull struggled with both race pace and tire degradation.

Ferrari was also on the losing side of this Grand Prix. After Hamilton’s podium in the sprint — helped in part by the safety car — the team made questionable strategic calls on Sunday. In an attempt to chase down Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes, they executed a position swap between their drivers at the worst possible moment. Complaints from both Hamilton and Leclerc were heard around the world over team radio. The Italian outfit will need to step up their game, as Williams is lurking close behind.

The Surprise

Kimi Antonelli is making his mark and was clearly one of the standout performers at this Miami Grand Prix. At just 18 years old, he secured his first pole position in Formula 1, and although he didn’t make it to the podium, the Mercedes rookie lined up between the McLarens on Sunday’s grid (Norris 2nd, Piastri 4th). He eventually finished sixth, behind Albon but ahead of both Ferraris, making it clear that he will be a tough rival to beat this season.

The Disappointment

A bitter moment came with the crash caused by Liam Lawson involving Fernando Alonso’s car during the sprint race. The Spaniard, who was on the verge of scoring points despite the limitations of his Aston Martin, suffered a heavy rear-end collision from the New Zealander. The FIA handed the Racing Bulls driver a five-second time penalty.

Driver of the Day

Our Driver of the Day was George Russell for constantly being in the hunt for the podium. In Miami, he secured his fourth podium of the season and remains the key reason Mercedes is second in the Constructors' Championship. He managed to bounce back from a tough weekend, where things didn’t go as well for him as they did for his teammate in the sprint, but in Sunday’s race, he firmly held on to third place and kept Verstappen at bay.

Consistency Award

Alex Albon seems to have found his rhythm with the Williams. The Thai driver finished fifth at the Miami Grand Prix and has scored points in five of the six races so far. He currently sits eighth in the standings, just behind the Ferraris — though the Maranello team now sees Williams as a genuine threat in the Constructors' Championship. In fact, Albon is only 11 points behind seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.