Extended World Championship Lead

LIVE: Norris in the lead, the first cars are coming into the pits

Kimi Antonelli won in Miami.(Bild: AFP/PETER FOX)

At just 19 years old, Kimi Antonelli showed nerves of steel after another botched start and ultimately secured the victory in Miami. The Italian claimed his third consecutive win, thereby extending his World Championship lead.

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli celebrated his third consecutive Formula 1 victory in a dry Miami Grand Prix. In the race, which was moved up by three hours due to fears of severe weather, the 19-year-old Italian won by a narrow margin on Sunday in Florida ahead of world champion and sprint winner Lando Norris in the McLaren. Oscar Piastri rounded out the podium (McLaren) in third place, a respectable distance behind, while Max Verstappen (Red Bull) finished fifth behind George Russell (Mercedes).

After the fourth race of the season—the first following a five-week forced hiatus due to the Iran conflict and the cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia—Antonelli now leads the World Championship standings by 20 points over Russell. “This is just the beginning; there’s still a long way to go,” said a sweat-drenched Antonelli, who became the first driver in F1 history to win his first three races from pole position. “The team put in a great performance; without them, I wouldn’t be here now. I’m going to enjoy this now and then keep going.”

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff naturally praised his protégé. “Kimi is driving just like he did in his karting days or in Formula 4. He was dominant today, always in control,” the Viennese said on ORF. “It’s good because so many doubted whether it was the right move. Now he’s really starting to get into his stride.”

Mixed feelings for Norris
Norris had led the race at times in the resurgent McLaren but lost the top spot due to an earlier pit stop by Antonelli. That’s why the defending champion had mixed feelings. “The win was possible,” the Brit emphasized. He said he was “devastated” because of the so-called undercut, but accepted it. “Kimi did a good job. I have to be happy.” The Papaya team could take stock with satisfaction after the one-two finish in the Sprint. “We were one step closer again; that’s nice to see,” said Piastri.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc lost two more positions after spinning out shortly before the end and finished sixth ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. For the next Grand Prix in Canada in three weeks, the Mercedes team—which had dominated at the start of the season—announced significant improvements to the “Silver Arrow,” while the competition had brought many upgrades to the fourth race weekend in Florida.

Here are the results in detail:

Rain or no rain?
Before the Grand Prix, the weather was the big question mark surrounding Hard Rock Stadium. It rained heavily in the Sunshine State in the morning, but the race remained dry. Antonelli started from pole position for the third time in a row, but had recently shown weaknesses at the start. This time, too, the teenager slipped back, while Leclerc, who got off to a lightning-fast start, took the lead. Verstappen initially defended his second place, but then spun out without contact and lost several positions.

On the 6th of 57 laps, the race was over for Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine). Hadjar crashed his Red Bull into the track barrier, while Gasly rolled over after a collision with Racing Bull driver Liam Lawson. Just before the ensuing safety car phase, Norris passed Antonelli, while Verstappen was the only top driver to pit.

Antonelli and Norris dominate
Shortly after the restart, Leclerc slipped back behind Norris and Antonelli in front of international celebrities such as tennis legend Rafael Nadal and ski stars Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. The predicted rain failed to materialize, and Leclerc was growing frustrated with the Ferrari team, who had sent him in for a pit stop without consulting him. Shortly thereafter, after his only tire change, Antonelli squeezed past Norris in a race-deciding move, while Verstappen was able to set a lap as the leader on a set of old tires.

At the front, Antonelli and Norris pulled away from the field, while behind them Verstappen lost his third-place position as his tires degraded. Piastri and Russell also passed the four-time champion shortly before the finish, despite his fierce resistance. Shortly before the end of the race, Leclerc spun out without any pressure and had to watch as Piastri and Verstappen overtook his Ferrari just before the finish line. The rain stayed away at the Miami International Autodrome until the end of the race.