Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli held off McLaren’s Lando Norris in a race-long battle to win the Miami Grand Prix and take a commanding championship lead.
The 19-year-old Italian’s third win in a row moves him 20 points – not far from a clear win – ahead of team-mate George Russell, who could finish only fourth.
Antonelli prevailed in a gripping race, initially staging a three-car fight also including Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, before the race distilled down to a tussle between the Mercedes and Norris.
The long-threatened rain, which had caused the race start to be brought forward by three hours, never materialised, apart from a few spots mid-race, and the grand prix ran its distance in dry conditions.
The key stories in Miami were:
- Another win for Antonelli, who has won three of the first four races to put pre-season favourite Russell in the shade
- A revival for McLaren after upgrades this weekend and a strong drive from Norris
- A full-on race for Max Verstappen, including a rare mistake, a fightback and some on-the-edge racing
- Many examples of the “yo-yo racing” that has characterised this new season and has split opinion
Antonelli overcomes another poor start
Antonelli took this win despite another poor start – he has now lost places off the line in all four grands prix and both sprint events this season.
The Mercedes was swamped by Leclerc’s fast-starting Ferrari from fourth on one side and Verstappen on the other on the run to the first corner.
Verstappen went to the inside, but ran deep and as he fought to retain the lead, Leclerc squeezed him at Turn Two, and the four-time champion lost control on the kerb, spinning a full 360 degrees with the entire field behind him.
He quickly regained control but had dropped to 10th place and now out of the fight for victory, a blow on a weekend on which Red Bull appeared to return to competitiveness.
That left Leclerc leading from Antonelli and Norris, and the yo-yo fighting began, caused by varying rates of battery charge.
Antonelli took the lead on lap four, only for Leclerc to pass back a lap later, before a safety car was sent out after two separate accidents on lap six.
Isack Hadjar crashed his Red Bull on his own at the final chicane and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine was tipped into a somersault by Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls at the final corner.
The battle at the front continued after the restart, when Norris took second from Antonelli and then quickly passed the Ferrari to take the lead.
Antonelli passed Leclerc a lap later and the Mercedes and McLaren began to edge into a fight on their own.
Norris led confidently, both drivers waiting for rain that was predicted shortly before half-distance, but when it began to look as if it would not come, Mercedes jumped first.
Antonelli was brought in for fresh tyres on lap 24, Norris waiting a further three laps, McLaren still wary of the weather.
It was the decisive point of the race. Antonelli gained enough time on his fresher tyres to be ahead when Norris came out of the pits.
Although the McLaren sat within a second of the Mercedes for many laps, and Antonelli battled with some gearshift issues and overheating rear tyres, the Mercedes driver held off Norris and eased a couple of seconds clear in the final laps.
“We got undercut, no excuses,” Norris said. “We should have boxed first. As a team we have to be happy, I am gutted to miss out on a win. It was possible today. Didn’t have the pace to get back past him at the end.”
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