Oscar Piastri won his third race in a row on Sunday, taking the Miami Grand Prix over McLaren teammate Lando Norris and the gap to Mercedes’ George Russell in third was more than 35 seconds.
Piastri is first McLaren driver to win three on the trot since Mika Häkkinen in 1997 and now leads the world drivers’ championship by 17 points over Norris.
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Norris started outside the first row alongside pole-sitter Max Verstappen and tried to get past into Turn 2 on the opening lap after the Dutchman ran wide out of the first turn. Norris left the track to avoid hitting Verstappen and lost four spots in the process. Race stewards quickly deemed it unworthy of further investigation.
It took 14 laps for Piastri, who started fourth, to run down Verstappen for a lead he wouldn’t relinquish, rapidly opening an eight-second gap. Four laps after that, Norris got past Verstappen for second.
As if they weren’t dominant enough, fortune smiled on the McLaren duo as it was able to pull off essentially a free set of pit stops, double-stacking during a brief virtual safety car on Lap 30.
1. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
2. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
3. George Russell (63), Mercedes
4. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
5. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes
6. Kimi Antonelli (12), Mercedes
7. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
8. Lewis Hamilton (44), Ferrari
9. Carlos Sainz (55), Williams-Mercedes
10. Yuki Tsunoda (22), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
11. Isack Hadjar (6), RB-Honda RBPT
12. Esteban Ocon (31), Haas-Ferrari
13. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
14. Nico Hülkenberg, (27), Sauber-Ferrari
15. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
16. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
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Unclassified:
Oliver Bearman, (87), Haas-Ferrari
Jack Doohan (7), Alpine-Renault
Gabriel Bortoleto (5), Sauber-Ferrari
Liam Lawson (30), RB-Honda RBPT
2025 Miami Grand Prix details
Track: Miami International Autodrome (Miami Gardens, Florida), 3.36-mile, 19-turn temporary street circuit
Length: 57 laps for 191.58 miles (308.32 kilometers)
Lap record: 1:29.708s (Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 2023)
Tire compounds: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft)
The available tires for this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix are the three softest in the Pirelli range. (Courtesy of Pirelli)
Miami Grand Prix starting grid
1. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
2. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
3. Kimi Antonelli (12), Mercedes
4. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
5. George Russell (63), Mercedes
6. Carlos Sainz (55), Williams-Mercedes
7. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes
8. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
9. Esteban Ocon (31), Haas-Ferrari
10. Yuki Tsunoda (22), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
11. Isack Hadjar (6), RB-Honda RBPT
12. Lewis Hamilton (44), Ferrari
13. Gabriel Bortoleto (5), Sauber-Ferrari
14. Jack Doohan (7), Alpine-Renault
15. Liam Lawson (30), RB-Honda RBPT
16. Nico Hülkenberg, (27), Sauber-Ferrari
17. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
18. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
19. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
20. Oliver Bearman, (87), Haas-Ferrari
Lando Norris wins chaotic Miami Sprint
For the second consecutive Miami Grand Prix weekend, McLaren’s Lando Norris is the beneficiary of a timely safety car. After claiming his maiden F1 win in last year’s Miami Grand Prix due to a lucky caution, Norris won this year’s wild sprint race with another lucky break.
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While sprint races don’t typically feature pit stops due to the shorter distance, rain forced the teams to start the event on wet-weather tires but rapidly drying track conditions forced them to switch to the slicks.
As pit stops were cycling through on Lap 15, Oscar Piastri held a slight lead over teammate Norris, meaning he got to pit first. That seemed like a disadvantage to Norris at the time, but as he was ducking into the pit lane, Liam Lawson plowed into Fernando Alonso. That sent the Spaniard into the wall, disabling the vehicle and bringing out the safety car.
Norris beat Piastri to the timing line and since the race ended under the safety car, he couldn’t be passed.
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Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was the first to make the jump to slicks on Lap 11 of the 18-lap event, followed shortly by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Williams’ Carlos Sainz. The run was on from there, as nearly every car in the field pitted – the only ones that didn’t just did not have the opportunity before the safety car.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen earned a 10-second time penalty for unsafe release after he barreled into Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli in the pit lane. Antonelli started the Sprint on pole – the youngest man ever to do so in F1 – but surrendered the lead to Piastri in the first corner after rain delayed the start by about 30 minutes.
Charles Leclerc did not get to take part in the sprint race as he lost control of his Ferrari on the formation lap and smacked the wall.
Kimi Antonelli claims historic pole for Miami Sprint
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli will start the Miami Grand Prix Sprint from pole position after setting a blistering lap of 1:26.482 at the Miami International Autodrome on Friday evening. Antonelli usurped the provisional pole lap set by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (1:26.737). Before the third sprint qualifying session ended, the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris slotted in between Antonelli and Verstappen.
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“Was a very intense qualifying,” Antonelli told the broadcast. “I felt really good since this morning and I felt good going into qualifying. I put everything together, so really happy to get the first pole.
“Tomorrow will be nice to start on the front row, will be a bit of a different feeling.”
At 18 years old, Antonelli is the youngest pole-sitter in any qualifying format in F1 history, beating the previous record held by Sebastian Vettel by more than two years. The Sky Sports broadcast pointed out an interesting piece of trivia: On the day Antonelli was born — Aug. 25, 2006 — Vettel made his first appearance in an F1 car. From there, all Vettel did was become the youngest F1 world champion in 2010, the first of four on the trot.
Miami Grand Prix Sprint starting grid
1. Kimi Antonelli (12), Mercedes
2. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
3. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
4. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
5. George Russell (63), Mercedes
6. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
7. Lewis Hamilton (44), Ferrari
8. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes
9. Isack Hadjar (6), RB-Honda RBPT
10. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
11. Nico Hülkenberg, (27), Sauber-Ferrari
12. Esteban Ocon (31), Haas-Ferrari
13. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
14. Liam Lawson (30), RB-Honda RBPT
15. Carlos Sainz (55), Williams-Mercedes
16. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
17. Jack Doohan (7), Alpine-Renault
18. Yuki Tsunoda (22), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (5), Sauber-Ferrari
20. Oliver Bearman, (87), Haas-Ferrari
What is the F1 Sprint weekend format?
Miami marks the second of 24 rounds of the 2025 Formula 1 world championship that will be contested under the Sprint weekend format, which differs from the traditional three practice/qualifying/grand prix schedule.
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Following a single practice session early Friday, teams will have an abbreviated 44-minute, three-round knockout qualifying session similar to the traditional 60-minute, three-round format. That will set the grid for a roughly 100-kilometer (1/3 grand prix distance) Sprint race that takes place early Saturday. There is no mandatory pit stop to change tire compounds — tire wear isn’t an issue with the shorter distance — and championship points are awarded for the top eight finishers of the sprint in descending order (eight points for the win, seven for second place, six for third, etc.).
The teams return later Saturday for the usual grand prix qualifying session that sets the grid for Sunday’s main event. Miami marks the first Sprint weekend of the season, with the remaining rounds consisting of Belgium (July 25-27), United States at Austin (Oct. 17-19), Sao Paulo (Nov. 7-9) and Qatar (Nov. 28-30).
Top drivers and best bets for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
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Best odds to win
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes +150
Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes +150
Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda +400
George Russell (63), Mercedes +1200
Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari +1200
Miami Grand Prix history
Past winners
2022: Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull RBPT
2023: Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda
2024: Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
Lando Norris claimed his maiden Formula 1 win at last year’s Miami Grand Prix. (Photo by Qian Jun/Xinhua via Getty Images)
(Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images)
FP1: Oliver Bearman’s spin cuts short lone practice session
Free practice 1 was cut short by about five minutes by a spin and sharp wall contact from Haas’ Oliver Bearman. Several drivers including Lando Norris Lewis Hamilton were on flying laps on the soft tire when the red flag came out. World drivers’ championship points leader Oscar Piastri did get a fast lap on the softs and topped the timing charts with a time of 1:27.128. Friday afternoon marked the only practice session of the weekend.
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1. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes – 1:27.128
2. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari – 1:27.484
3. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT – 1:27.558
4. Carlos Sainz (55), Williams-Mercedes – 1:27.678
5. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes – 1:27.955
6. Isack Hadjar (6), RB-Honda RBPT – 1:27.968
7. George Russell (63), Mercedes – 1:28.058
8. Yuki Tsunoda (22), Red Bull-Honda RBPT – 1:28.155
9. Kimi Antonelli (12), Mercedes – 1:28.227
10. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes – 1:28.243
11. Liam Lawson (30), RB-Honda RBPT – 1:28.374
12. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes – 1:28.391
13. Lewis Hamilton (44), Ferrari – 1:28.556
14. Nico Hülkenberg, (27), Sauber-Ferrari – 1:28.573
15. Gabriel Bortoleto (5), Sauber-Ferrari – 1:28.771
16. Oliver Bearman, (87), Haas-Ferrari – 1:28.996
17. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault – 1:29.084
18. Esteban Ocon (31), Haas-Ferrari – 1:29.179
19. Jack Doohan (7), Alpine-Renault – 1:29.357
20. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes – 1:29.362
Miami Grand Prix entries
Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Yuki Tsunoda (22), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton (44), Ferrari
Kimi Antonelli (12), Mercedes
George Russell (63), Mercedes
Jack Doohan (7), Alpine-Renault
Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
Gabriel Bortoleto (5), Sauber-Ferrari
Nico Hülkenberg, (27), Sauber-Ferrari
Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Esteban Ocon (31), Haas-Ferrari
Oliver Bearman, (87), Haas-Ferrari
Isack Hadjar (6), RB-Honda RBPT
Liam Lawson (30), RB-Honda RBPT
Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes
Carlos Sainz (55), Williams-Mercedes
Weather for the Miami Grand Prix
The Yahoo weather weekend forecast for Miami calls for temperatures in the low 80s. Clear skies on Friday for practice and Sprint qualifying, with more than a 50% chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday. If there is scattered precipitation, the high air temperatures should dry the track at least adequately enough for cars to run their intermediate or wet-weather tires should the conditions preclude teams from running slicks.
