Five quick takeaways from eventful Miami Grand Prix

Antonelli passes his biggest test yet

Kimi Antonelli’s third straight grand prix win may not have been his most dominant, but it surely was his most impressive. The 19-year-old started from pole, lost out in the chaos of Turn 1, battled Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, then had to recover the initiative through pace, racecraft and Mercedes’ undercut.

Miami was also the first time Antonelli had to win with sustained pressure from a recent world champion behind him. Unlike China, where he had the pace to control the race, or Japan, where he broke clear after the safety car, this was a much more complex victory. Norris kept him honest throughout the final stint, closing to within Boost range and applying pressure as Antonelli reported gearbox and throttle concerns.

Yet the Mercedes driver never unravelled. His out-lap after stopping on lap 27 proved decisive, allowing him to jump Norris once McLaren responded a lap later. From there, he managed the gap, survived late track-limits scrutiny and kept Norris at arm’s length even as light rain threatened to complicate the closing laps.

For Mercedes, this was further proof that its early-season advantage is no illusion. For Antonelli, it was something more significant: a win achieved not simply through clean air and raw speed, but under pressure, in changing conditions, against a McLaren that was genuinely quick. That is exactly the kind of victory that turns early promise into championship credibility.

– Jules de Graaf

McLaren is back – properly back

They’ve done it again. Three years ago in Miami, McLaren brought its first major upgrade to what had looked like a completely hopeless car – and since then, every time something arrives from Woking, it delivers.

Andrea Stella always plays down expectations – yet this time even he said McLaren would arrive in Miami with an almost entirely new car. He noted others would probably do the same. And while a couple of teams did bring substantial upgrades, it was McLaren again that made the biggest step.

It was already evident on Friday, with Lando Norris taking sprint pole. He then went on to take victory on Saturday, but still downplayed McLaren’s progress. You might have agreed after main qualifying, where Norris managed only fourth. But on Sunday, he was back at it again. It wasn’t enough for a win – but pace was surely there.

McLaren is properly back. Now, of course, Mercedes is expected to respond in Canada with its own upgrade – but Miami is a clear signal: the world champion squad won’t let its rivals run away this year.

– Oleg Karpov

Red Bull surprises friend, foe and even Verstappen with Miami progress

What virtually no one had thought possible has become reality this weekend in Miami: Red Bull is suddenly back at the sharp end of the grid.

Whereas both drivers and team boss Laurent Mekies admitted after the Japanese Grand Prix that the problems with the RB22 were not yet understood, the picture looks completely different after the April break.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images

The significant upgrade package — including heavily revised sidepods and its own version of the Macarena wing — has had the intended effect, but does not tell the whole story.

Speaking to the Dutch media, Verstappen added that Red Bull has also discovered an issue in the steering system. The four-time world champion had been feeling this since the Barcelona shakedown, but it has only now been resolved, among other things by replacing the steering rack.

These factors have not only ensured that Red Bull has found more pace, but also that Verstappen feels much more comfortable in the RB22 and can truly push again.

The Dutchman rightly noted that Red Bull is still not entirely where it wants to be, but going from failing to reach Q3 in Japan to a front-row start in the Sunshine State is, in any case, an immense step.

– Ronald Vording

Is Hadjar already slipping into Red Bull’s second-driver syndrome?

Isack Hadjar will leave the Miami International Autodrome this Sunday with more questions than answers.

The Frenchman had enjoyed a promising start to the season despite the limitations of the RB22, running close enough to Max Verstappen to suggest he could at least keep him honest. This time, however, that was not the case.

Red Bull arrived in Miami with a substantial upgrade package that helped propel Verstappen back into the fight at the front, but Hadjar never looked at ease in the car.

From Friday practice, he was as much as a second adrift of his team-mate and never truly closed the gap, leaving him marooned in ninth in both qualifying sessions — on each occasion outpaced by the Alpine of Franco Colapinto.

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Brett Farmer / LAT Images via Getty Images

His disqualification from qualifying all but ruined his chances for Sunday, but it paled in comparison to the clumsy incident on lap five, when he clipped the inside wall through the Turns 14–15 chicane.

It remains to be seen whether Miami was merely a misstep for Hadjar — or the weekend when he began to look like a proper second driver at Red Bull…

– Federico Faturos

Russell’s low-grip struggles reminiscent of Piastri

When George Russell claimed on Saturday that he was struggling compared to team-mate Kimi Antonelli because Miami is “very low grip”, this writer had to double check what year it was. Was it 2025 or 2026? Because these struggles on low grip surfaces are largely what caused the collapse of Oscar Piastri’s championship bid last season, as he performed well below par in Azerbaijan, Singapore and Mexico, handing the advantage to Lando Norris.
 
This is a fate Russell must avoid, because there are several more low-grip tracks to come in 2026 so this apparent weakness of his will need working on. Don’t just accept it, George!

George Russell, Mercedes

Photo by: Guido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images

Regardless, it is far too soon to panic because Miami was arguably the first time that Antonelli truly had the edge, as his wins in China and Japan were partly down to bad luck for his team-mate.
 
There is no doubt that Russell is still capable of producing the dominant drive he enjoyed in Australia and if it is a straight up title fight between the Mercedes pair, the 28-year-old should still be regarded as the heavy favourite. 

But now Miami’s done, perhaps a simple Russell versus Antonelli battle isn’t such a foregone conclusion…

– Ed Hardy

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