4 May 2026
Kimi Antonelli took a stunning victory at the Miami Grand Prix, but this was far from the clean lights-to-flag win the final standings might suggest. A dramatic, chaotic race — packed with crashes, lead changes, and a safety car — made this one of the most unpredictable grands prix of the season so far.
Antonelli started from pole but was immediately overtaken by Charles Leclerc at the first corner, the Ferrari man seizing the initiative in the early laps. Behind them, Max Verstappen's afternoon began to unravel when he spun and dropped down the order, effectively ending any hope of a strong result. The chaos was compounded on lap 6 when Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly came together in a crash that also collected Liam Lawson and triggered a safety car, resetting the race entirely.
The restart saw the lead change hands again across the mid-race stint, with Lando Norris at one point heading the field and looking every inch a race winner. McLaren's pace was genuinely there — a fact Norris made clear post-race, a frustrated "How did we not win?" speaking to the pain of a team who felt the victory slipped through their fingers.
Ultimately, Antonelli found his way back to the front and held on to take the chequered flag ahead of Norris and Oscar Piastri, who completed an impressive McLaren one-two-three lockout of the podium positions behind the Mercedes. George Russell crossed the line fourth, with Leclerc and Hamilton — both Ferrari drivers investigated post-race — finishing sixth and seventh respectively. Verstappen and Leclerc were subject to stewards' inquiries, adding further intrigue to an already eventful afternoon.
With 100 points from four races and three wins, Antonelli's championship lead looks commanding — but this race showed he is not yet untouchable. Norris closed to within striking distance in the standings and will feel a Canadian victory is well within reach. Meanwhile, Verstappen's Miami struggles leave him a distant seventh in the championship, a long way from where Red Bull expected to be at this stage.
Bold take: Norris will not wait long for his first 2026 win. Canada looks like the perfect opportunity for McLaren to finally convert pace into points at the top step.