Miami Grand Prix: Kimi Antonelli wins as Max Verstappen under FIA investigation

Kimi Antonelli further reinforced his title credentials by winning a thrilling Miami Grand Prix, that his third victory on the trot.

Reigning world champion Lando Norris secured his best result of the season with second, while Oscar Piastri completed the podium. Max Verstappen faces a post-race FIA investigation over a potential crossing of the pit-lane white line.

Kimi Antonelli wins Miami GP, FIA to investigate Max Verstappen

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The Miami Grand Prix came around three hours earlier than originally advertised. With the threat of storms in the area, a decision was made to bring the race forward.

Rain, thunder and lightning battered Miami in the morning, but we had a dry track come lights out.

For Kimi Antonelli, the polesitter, the first task was to get those pesky starts nailed. Another one like he suffered in the Sprint, and Verstappen would surely pounce.

Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar was starting from the pit lane. His new Red Bull floor didn’t meet the technical requirements as it was found to be 2mm too wide during post-qualifying scrutineering. He was therefore excluded from the results.

Every driver started on medium tyres, minus Hadjar on hards.

Antonelli got away better, but at first, not well enough. Leclerc flew around the outside into Turn 1, Antonelli locked up and found the run-off, Verstappen mounted the kerb and spun.

Further back, there was contact between Hamilton and Colapinto at Turn 11. The stewards would take a look.

Verstappen was ninth as we began Lap 2, having muscled his way past the Williams of Carlos Sainz.

“He pushed me off. He thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he’s racing the midfield,” Sainz vented on the radio.

Nico Hulkenberg needed a new Audi front wing.

Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris and Russell was the top four.

Hamilton was informed that he had lost 10 to 15 points of downforce with a damaged sidepod and floor. The stewards ruled that one a racing incident.

Lap 4 and Antonelli took Leclerc down the inside of Turn 17. He withstood the crucial test of holding position into Turn 1, as the new race leader looked to escape up the road.

No time for that. Leclerc was back through at T11.

Norris was next past Antonelli, and out came the Safety Car. Hadjar was in the T15/16 wall. Gasly at T17.

Rear right suspended on top of the tyre barrier, having been flipped over by contact with Lawson on the inside, Gasly thankfully confirmed that he was okay.

That incident was under stewards investigation, as Lawson retired from the race. Both he and Gasly would visited the stewards after the race.

Verstappen pitted on Lap 7 behind the Safety Car for hard tyres.

Meanwhile, a short, heavy shower had popped up on the radar, one potentially heading for the circuit.

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As the Safety Car peeled back into the pits at the end of Lap 11, Leclerc took us back to green.

Piastri challenged Russell into T1, and Piastri emerged in P4.

“That was super dangerous by Russell,” was Piastri’s verdict.

Russell said he was in the wrong start mode.

Down at Turn 11, we had a new race leader, as Norris swooped into the lead. Antonelli came through at T17, but Leclerc fought back into T1.

Shades of that thrilling F2 Sprint, as being ahead at T17, potentially was not always the optimal strategy.

Verstappen was back into the top 10 by Lap 16, and less than 13 seconds off the lead.

Verstappen had been noted for perhaps crossing the white line at the pit exit. That one, was going to be investigated after the race, rather than in-race.

Still on the offensive, Verstappen complained of being pushed onto the bollard by Albon. He completed the pass, and soon after re-took the sister Williams of Sainz.

The stewards were also taking a look at Verstappen and Albon. No further action would be taken.

Leclerc and Piastri were busy trading the final podium position.

Russell was in on Lap 21 for hard tyres. Ferrari reacted with Leclerc on the following lap, but a 3.7-second stop saw him undercut by Russell.

There remained a threat of rain reaching the circuit, as Leclerc questioned why Ferrari had boxed him.

Spots of rain began to fall, but nothing which would trouble the slick tyres.

Verstappen was still driving along nicely, and had now caught Hamilton’s wounded Ferrari. Verstappen came through at T17, Hamilton took a look at coming back at T1, but Verstappen had that position secured.

All the while, Antonelli had pitted at the end of Lap 26, taking on hard tyres. Norris was in the following lap, and re-emerged just ahead of Antonelli.

But, with his tyres up to temperature, Antonelli snatched back that important track position.

Hamilton had also been in, suggesting that the threat of any significant rain was diminishing.

Piastri pitted at the end of Lap 28, sending Verstappen into the lead. He had Antonelli and Norris right on his tail, but a battling Antonelli and Norris.

Antonelli came through at T11, but Norris had to wait for the back straight. Verstappen lunged at T17, but Norris held firm and was back up to second.

Russell re-passed Leclerc as they scrapped over fifth.

The stewards’ further increased their post-race to-do list, confirming an Albon yellow flag infringement investigation.

Valtteri Bottas received a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit-lane, which, yes, was to be served during the race.

Out front, Norris was closing back in on Antonelli, who was reporting a gearbox paddle problem, and a throttle issue.

Ditched by Leclerc, Russell and Piastri were now going at it.

Antonelli said his rears were gone, as the calming tones of Peter Bonnington assured him that it was just temperatures.

Russell was being told that he was forecasted to catch Verstappen by the end. Russell said he was four-wheel sliding and the W17 felt “awful”.

Leclerc was at the head of the Verstappen-hunting train – albeit a spread out one – as Piastri was told that it would soon get “tasty”.

Leclerc caught Verstappen and on Lap 47, came through at T1. Verstappen struck back, but Leclerc had third again by the time that duo reached T11.

Piastri was now the scene.

Downshifts, meanwhile, were the next source of concern for Antonelli, who was now a second and a half clear of Norris.

Lap 49 and here came Piastri at T17. Job done. He was up to fourth.

Light rain had resurfaced on the radar, nothing that would trigger a late-race curveball.

Russell caught Verstappen with three laps to go and T1 contact followed. Russell had front wing damage.

Piastri was right on Leclerc, as Verstappen and Russell continued their scrap.

Norris was warned that the rear wing was dropping out in places as he backed off, lifting any remaining pressure from Antonelli.

Antonelli began the final lap, as Piastri took the final podium position from Leclerc at T17. Leclerc went spinning as he began his last lap, banged wheels with Russell at T17, and lost out to Verstappen at the line, dropping to a P6 finish.

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Full 2026 Miami Grand Prix timesheet

1 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes
2 Lando Norris McLaren +3.264
3 Oscar Piastri McLaren +27.092
4 George Russell Mercedes +43.051
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +43.949
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +44.245
7 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +53.753
8 Franco Colapinto Alpine +61.871
9 Carlos Sainz Williams +82.072
10 Alexander Albon Williams +90.972
11 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +1L
12 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi +1L
13 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1L
14 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls +1L
15 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1L
16 Sergio Perez Cadillac +1L
17 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1L
18 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac +2L
DNF Nico Hulkenberg Audi
DNF Liam Lawson Racing Bulls
DNF Pierre Gasly Alpine
DNF Isack Hadjar Red Bull Racing

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