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MCLAREN SHINE IN THE SUNSHINE STATE
Despite arriving into the weekend as the favourites – given that Oscar Piastri became the new championship leader with his win in Saudi Arabia – McLaren did not have things all their own way as the action began in Miami.
However, those blips did not hinder McLaren’s performance in race trim. During a dramatic wet-dry Sprint, Piastri snatched the lead from Kimi Antonelli at Turn 1 and looked on course for victory until a frenetic sequence later on saw Lando Norris take the lead when Piastri pitted for slick tyres – just as a Safety Car was deployed, meaning that the Briton could make his stop and maintain P1 to the finish.
Despite Verstappen initially holding the lead at the start of Sunday's Grand Prix – with Norris slipping down the order after going wide during an early battle with the Dutchman, and allowing Antonelli and Piastri to move ahead of him – Verstappen soon found himself under pressure from Piastri, leading to the Australian eventually overtaking before Norris then followed suit.
From then on the McLarens looked to be on another planet, with Piastri leading home Norris in a 1-2 formation that saw the championship leader cross the line a staggering 37 seconds clear of third-placed George Russell. There was no doubt that this was a commanding performance from the reigning Teams’ Champions.
VERSTAPPEN'S EVENTFUL WEEKEND
Before the track action had even started in Miami, Verstappen was already having an eventful start to race week. It was confirmed ahead of Thursday’s media day that the Dutchman would be absent due to expecting a baby with partner Kelly Piquet. Verstappen and Piquet had welcomed a baby girl named Lily that day.
Arriving Friday for Sprint weekend action, Verstappen's Saturday proved particularly chaotic. An unsafe pit release earned him a 10-second penalty in the Sprint, dropping him out of points contention. Yet hours later, he delivered a qualifying masterclass - overcoming a final lap wobble to secure pole with the session's fastest time.
As if any more ups and downs were needed, Verstappen faced further turmoil in the Grand Prix, having initially held the lead after a scrap with Norris before eventually losing out to both Piastri and Norris later on.
After missing out on third to George Russell thanks to the Mercedes man pitting during a Virtual Safety Car period, Verstappen had to settle for fourth as his incredibly busy week on and off track drew to a close.
FERRARI TEAM ORDERS DRAMA
After a disappointing qualifying with P8 for Leclerc and P12 for Hamilton, both drivers sought to make progress in Sunday's Grand Prix. While Leclerc maintained position, Hamilton climbed steadily through the field until the teammates found themselves running seventh and eighth.
The situation sparked tension when Hamilton - on medium tires compared to Leclerc's hards - requested to pass, believing he could challenge Antonelli ahead. Ferrari's hesitation drew sharp criticism from the Briton, who complained over radio: "This isn't good teamwork," before adding sarcastically: "Why not have a tea break while you're deciding?"
The team eventually permitted the swap, but when Hamilton failed to close the gap, Ferrari planned to revert the positions. Communication breakdowns then created further drama - Leclerc was told to expect the position back, but Hamilton received no immediate instruction. The delayed switch prompted Leclerc's terse remark: "We'll discuss this after the race," highlighting Ferrari's messy handling of the team orders.
A DRAMATIC SPRINT
Dramatic changes in the weather are known to be the great disruptor in F1, and the Miami Sprint was no different. Dramatic weather shook up the track action on Saturday as heavy rain delayed the start due to poor visibility. Antonelli, starting from pole, lost position at Turn 1 when Piastri lunged past, sending the Mercedes wide and dropping him to P4.
As the track dried, McLaren pitted Norris a lap later than Piastri - just as the Safety Car was deployed for Alonso and Lawson’s collision. The timing handed Norris the lead as he emerged from the pit lane, and with Alonso’s stranded car unable to be cleared in time, the Sprint ended behind the Safety Car and Norris claimed the win, echoing his maiden victory at this circuit in 2024.
Hamilton claimed P3 thanks to an early switch off intermediates, while post-race penalties reshuffled the order, demoting Albon, Lawson, and Bearman from the top eight.
ANTONELLI SHOWS EXCITING POTENTIAL
The spotlight has been on Andrea Kimi Antonelli since Mercedes signed him in 2018 at just 12. His Miami performance intensified that focus, as few expected Mercedes to take Sprint pole, let alone with their teenage driver. Yet Antonelli outpaced both McLarens, Verstappen, and his teammate.
Both inexperience and misfortune cost him in the Sprint - Verstappen’s unsafe release forced him to take evasive action, dropping him out of the points. Post-Sprint penalties promoted him back into the points, and he further rebounded in Qualifying, missing pole by just 0.067s to secure P3 for the Grand Prix.
In the race, Piastri, Norris, Russell, Verstappen, and an unexpectedly quick Alex Albon overtook him, while a slow pit stop didn’t help. Still, he ended the weekend with a solid P6, proving his potential despite setbacks.
A LEGO DRIVERS' PARADE
There was a race with a difference ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, as all 20 Formula 1 drivers took part in a drivers' parade at the wheel of lifesize LEGO cars, bespoke with each team's car colours and liveries.
Based on the LEGO F1 Speed Champions range and designed to celebrate Formula 1 and the LEGO Group’s ongoing, multi-year partnership, the unique one-off spectacle allowed fans to catch a glimpse of their favourite drivers in a quirky setting. Each of the cars, which were built to almost a 1:1 scale, were constructed using nearly 400,000 LEGO bricks, weighing 1,000kg and hit speeds of 20kph while using authentic Pirelli tyres.
Despite several incidents during the lap, the 'race' was won by the Alpine pairing of Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan ahead of the 57-lap main event on Sunday.
Emily Prazer, Chief Commercial Officer at Formula 1, said: “As a sport synonymous with innovation and pushing boundaries, it was amazing to see another first for our sport as the big builds made their way around the track in the hands of the best drivers in the world. Our partnership with the LEGO Group enables us to inject a lot of fun into the Grand Prix experience and engage new audiences, and we can’t wait to see what else we can dream up together.”
CELEBRITIES AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE
Miami always attracts plenty of celebrities, and this season was no different. Terry Crews was posing for plenty of photos on the grid, while Evander Holyfield was wandering around and taking in all the sights and sounds of F1.
Boxer Conor Benn was enjoying life on the F1 grid for the first time, while actor Timothée Chalamet was seen sporting a Racing Bulls shirt as he made his allegiance known.
Speed merchants Michael Johnson and Lindsey Vonn were both in attendance earlier in the weekend, while Sunday saw the grid fill up with stars from all walks of life, including plenty of musicians.
But there was one celebrity who captured everyone’s hearts and who was a big enough fan to come to every day of action – little Leo Leclerc. Charles Leclerc’s dog was impeccably well-behaved throughout the weekend, and hopefully could console his Dad after a tricky race for the Ferrari man.
F1 MOVIE SOUNDTRACK REVEALED
Speaking of musicians, there was a reason so many were in Miami for the sixth Grand Prix of the season. The soundtrack for the upcoming Apple Original Films’ F1 movie has been revealed, with Ed Sheeran, ROSÉ and RAYE on the list.
The film itself is released on June 27 and the soundtrack, F1 THE ALBUM, features an exciting mix of established and new talent, with plenty of original songs.
That wasn’t the only big music news from Miami, with Tiësto making history as the first artist to deliver performances both before the Formation Lap and after the race.
Tiësto got the crowd on their feet with both sets, and is another artist to feature on the F1 movie album too. He described the Miami weekend vibes as “epic” and it was hard to disagree.
