After an unexpected five-week break, Formula 1 returned to Florida, where McLaren showed they are on the rise, with Australian Oscar Piastri claiming third and teammate Lando Norris second in a chaotic race.
But the winner in Miami was Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, continuing a record-breaking run that has now delivered him three consecutive grands prix and increasing his championship lead.
Piastri – who started seventh after a challenging qualifying session – capitalised on first-lap chaos where Max Verstappen spun on the damp track while trying to snatch the lead, and fought his way to fourth.
It’s welcome news for Piastri who suffered weeks of crashes, mechanical problems and was forced to “watch F1 from the sidelines”, in a disastrous start to his 2026 season. The Australian finished second at the most recent race, the Japanese Grand Prix in March, and can now add another podium to his list.
After a rough start to 2026, the 25-year-old said he felt McLaren was finally rising.
“I think this weekend we showed that if we get track position, we can hang on to things well,” he said.
“We were close in Japan, but we have definitely taken a step forward, and hopefully, in Canada, we can take another step forward again.
“[I’m] excited for the future.”
How the chaotic start unfolded
Often renowned for its glitz and glamour – the Miami Grand Prix is typically an A-list celebrity drawcard on the calendar. However, Miami’s weather forecast slightly dampened the festivities, forcing organisers to bring the race forward three hours to avoid heavy rainstorms and lightning.
Even with the earlier start, the race started on a slick and slippery track which suggested chaos was on the cards – and those forecasts were soon delivered.
McLaren arrived in Miami with hefty upgrades, aerodynamic modifications and a development package to hopefully alter the trajectory of their 2026 campaign.
When the amber lights flashed, pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli faltered, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc pounced, launching from third to post place. On the front row, Max Verstappen tried to hold his lead in the first corner, but locked his tyre and spun across the track.
Pistri held his cool and navigated the chaos, piloting his McLaren to fourth place from seventh. A minor mistake and lock-up saw him briefly lose his place to Mercedes driver George Russell, but the Australian calmly recovered and snatched the place back.
On lap four Kimi Antonelli, who typically drops places during race-starts – easily overtook Leclerc to retake the lead of the Miami race.
The fight, the flipped car and safety car carnage
With rain threatening, Antonelli and Leclerc wrestled for the lead, switching places several times. At one point Lando Norris – placed third – was told to let the duo fight it out and “yo-yo”.
The see-saw lead changes confirmed that despite McLaren’s upgrade package, the fight this year is still between Mercedes and Ferrari, for now. While the Silver Arrows pace is unmatched, the Ferrari’s engine has a smaller turbocharger than its rivals, allowing them to execute impressive overtakes at the start of races.
The race wasn’t without its causalities. Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar smashed into the wall and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly flipped mid-air after colliding with Kiwi Liam Lawson, triggering a safety car
Piastri continued to fight it out with Russell with some fantastic wheel-to wheel racing, while his teammate Norris exchanged leads with Leclerc and Antonelli.
The multiple lead changes depended on who used their electrical power. It led to multiple race-leaders and changes within minutes.
The end and the last-minute overtake
Rain started to fall sporadically on Miami International Autodrome on lap 26 and drivers commenced a cat-and-mouse contest of who would pit first. Both McLaren drivers stayed out, with Mercedes and Ferrari pitting.
Piastri finally pitted on lap 28 to begin their hunt on fresh tyres. With Mercedes George Russell ahead, the Australian stalked the Mercedes before finally managing to overtake the Briton and later successfully passing Verstappen.
Suddenly, Piastri found himself in the battle for third with one lap to go. On the penultimate lap, he started gaining on the back of Leclerc’s Ferrari and tried multiple times to overtake, but failed to pass the Monegasque, forcing the cars to go single file.
Then he did it. On the corner before the final lap, Piastri snatched third place, surging towards the finish line and podium. Antonelli, meanwhile, converted pole position to victory, with Norris finishing behind him. However, the 2025 word championship winner mourned what could have been, saying McLaren “should have won”.
Antonelli continues to etch his nane in F1 folklore, joining Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher as the only drivers to have achieved their first three career poles consecutively.
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Hannah Kennelly is an award-winning sports reporter and Formula 1 writer at The Age.Connect via email.
