Kimi Antonelli won the thrilling race of the 2026 Miami GP

Kimi Antonelli won a truly thrilling race at the 2026 Miami GP. The key to success was a well-chosen strategy, as the competition with Lando Norris was very close. The race was full of many direct duels, with several collisions, mistakes, and controversies. Formula 1 managed to avoid rain showers.

Read more Miami GP 2026 Qualifying Analysis

Due to a high risk of heavy rain and storms, Formula 1 postponed the race start by three hours, which proved to be a very good decision. There was a storm in Miami in the morning hours, but F1 hit a moment when it was not raining at all. Heavier rain and storms were forecast for the afternoon hours. Midway through the race, the track was literally bypassed by a large rain cloud by a few kilometers, with only a very light shower falling that did not affect the competition. The race took place on a completely dry track, with surface temperatures between 35-40 degrees Celsius. At the start, we had a long neutralization period due to two separate crashes.

Results of the 2026 Miami GP race

Leclerc finished sixth but was given a 20-second penalty (equivalent to a drive-through penalty). Verstappen received a five-second penalty for crossing the white line after exiting the pit lane. This did not affect his finishing position.

Battle for victory at the 2026 Miami GP

It was a really interesting race with a focus on the battle at the front, as a lot happened there and several drivers fought each other. Over the race distance, Antonelli and Norris proved to be the fastest, competing for the win and leaving the rest behind. At the start, Antonelli and Verstappen made mistakes, allowing Leclerc to take the lead. Verstappen shortly after made a big mistake, spinning and dropping to ninth place. Leclerc led ahead of Antonelli and Norris. In the following laps, there were several duels among this trio, interrupted by a neutralization on lap six. After the restart, Norris took the lead, followed by Antonelli. Leclerc dropped to third, losing contact with them after a minor mistake, but it did not have a real impact on the competition.

Norris and Antonelli were the fastest on track and pulled away from the rest of the field. Mercedes called Antonelli for new tires on lap 26, and Norris responded a lap later. This was the decisive moment of the race. Antonelli gained a lot from the earlier pit stop, overtook Norris, and then both found themselves behind Verstappen, who was on a different strategy, but they quickly passed him. Antonelli led the second half of the race, with Norris right behind him. They pulled away from all rivals, but no duel occurred as their pace was too evenly matched. Strategy proved crucial; Mercedes played it better, and Antonelli won for the third consecutive time. Norris has something to regret, as he had the pace to fight for the win but lost some time due to the later pit stop.

Review of other front-runners

Oscar Piastri secured third place at the very end. The Australian had a race full of duels, battling several times with Russell and Verstappen. He overtook Leclerc for the podium on the penultimate lap. Piastri made the latest pit stop among the front runners, which was also slightly botched by the mechanics. He made up for this on track by driving a good pace. In a fully clean race, he could not expect more than third place, as the top two were too fast.

George Russell had his weakest race of the year, lacking the pace to fight for the podium while his teammate won. The Briton mainly battled with Piastri and Leclerc in this race. It must also be admitted that the decision for an earlier pit stop to try to “undercut” rivals was wrong, as Russell lost time having to overtake midfield drivers. At the very end, Russell clashed with Verstappen; their duel was interesting as both fought hard, with a minor collision that caused Russell to damage his front wing. At the very end, Russell also overtook Leclerc, where there was a minor clash. The stewards did not assign any penalty for this.

One can say the old Max Verstappen returned after this race. The Dutchman had very good pace at times and quickly moved through the field. It is clear that the improved Red Bull car is much faster and suits Verstappen. However, he could not fully exploit the potential. On the first lap, Verstappen made a big mistake, losing several positions. They took a risk with a pit stop during the neutralization on lap six. Verstappen quickly made up positions, overtaking midfield drivers without a fight (an example of how big the gap is this year between the front and the rest of the field). However, in the final stages, more worn tires showed their effect. He defended hard but was eventually overtaken by Leclerc, Piastri, and Russell. Before the finish line, he regained position at Leclerc’s expense, who barely finished. Verstappen’s collision with Russell in the first corner near the end of the race was deemed a racing incident.

Charles Leclerc had a great start and led for several laps. Over the race distance, however, he could not defend against several drivers and dropped to third. In my opinion, Ferrari made a mistake calling him for a pit stop as early as lap 21. It was a reaction to Russell’s move but, in my opinion, unnecessary. Leclerc lost time driving in the midfield. In the final stages, he made up a lot, driving almost to the podium, but on the last lap, he made a big mistake, spun, and hit the wall. He finished sixth with a damaged car. After the race, the Monegasque received a 20-second penalty from the stewards for repeatedly exceeding track limits and gaining an advantage on the last lap. Because of this, he dropped to eighth place in the official results.

Lewis Hamilton had a very uneventful race, serving only as a backdrop to the six drivers who finished ahead of him, with everything decided on the first lap. Lewis had a very good start and aimed to gain 2-3 positions but chose a racing line blocked by the spinning Verstappen, after which McLaren, Mercedes, and Colapinto drivers overtook him. Hamilton attacked the Alpine driver halfway through the first lap, but the latter pushed him off track, causing contact and significant aerodynamic damage to Hamilton’s car. The Briton drove the rest of the race with a damaged car, stuck in no-man’s land: unable to fight the drivers ahead and with no threat from behind.

Read more Norris won a calm sprint before the 2026 Miami GP

Mercedes was realistically caught up. McLaren’s race pace was literally at the same level. We will see what happens next, as in three weeks at the Canadian GP, Mercedes is expected to introduce its upgrade package to the car, but McLaren will also have something. Red Bull has improved significantly. Verstappen’s pace is hard to compare due to strategy, but in my opinion, the Dutchman could have fought for the podium here, meaning very little will go to the two top teams. Ferrari slightly lags due to a weaker engine. Drivers can fight at the start and early in stints, but the further into the race, the more weaknesses show. Canada will tell us a lot about whether Mercedes will bring a big upgrade package and regain a safe advantage or if the competition will remain closer.

Antonelli is currently on a roll, but let’s wait a few more weekends. The Italian had a very good start to last season but drove much worse in the midfield later. George Russell, wanting to be the best at Mercedes this year, must beat Antonelli in the upcoming races. If that does not happen, Antonelli will indeed start to emerge as the main candidate for the world championship.

Review of other significant driver and team results at the 2026 Miami GP

Franco Colapinto took his best career seventh place, benefiting from Charles Leclerc’s penalty. It can be confidently said that Colapinto had the best week of his career. First, a show for 600,000 fans in Buenos Aires, then a great performance in Miami. The Alpine team is currently the fifth force in the pecking order, with a significant advantage over rivals.

Williams leaves Miami very satisfied as its drivers scored double points. The team clearly improved this weekend, but it did not seem enough to achieve such high positions. They took advantage of some rivals’ problems, but Sainz and Albon drove well enough to keep the following rivals at a safe distance. This should be a breakthrough start to the season for Williams.

At the back of the field, Aston Martin and Cadillac drivers fought in their own league, able to afford different strategies than the rest of the field. Fernando Alonso adapted best, beating Sergio Perez. Aston Martin had both drivers finish for the first time this year.

Four drivers retired in the first laps for various reasons. Isack Hadjar made a mistake, hit the barrier, and crashed the car. Hulkenberg also retired early due to a failure, having to replace a damaged front wing after the first lap. Liam Lawson retired due to a gearbox failure. Because of this failure, he drove differently in turn 17 when Gasly attacked him, causing the Alpine car to flip.

Current overall standings after the 2026 Miami GP can be found here.

Summary

It was a very successful race with everything we expect from F1. The first few laps were already more interesting than the entire Saturday sprint. The Miami track works well in Formula 1, its layout favors direct duels. It’s a pity that tire wear is minimal here and strategies are always the same. The competition at the front has evened out, with four teams in the fight for the podium. Mercedes is still unbeaten but this time had no real advantage.

The coming weeks in F1 will be marked by engines. Talks are ongoing about modifying the regulations for 2027 and clarifying the power unit power split. The FIA should soon analyze the performance of current engines and approve upgrades for the weakest.

Read more Norris fastest in qualifying for the sprint in Miami in 2026