KIMI Antonelli underlined his growing control of the 2026 F1 season, fending off reigning world champion Lando Norris in an incident-filled Miami Grand Prix.
Antonelli, 19, endured the late pressure and still came away with his third win of the season, becoming the first driver in F1 history to convert his first three career pole positions into victories.
READ: Lando Norris wins F1 Sprint as Kimi keeps hold of Miami GP pole
Norris stayed within striking distance early and took the lead on Lap 12 after a fifth-lap Safety Car triggered by separate incidents involving Isack Hadjar, Pierre Gasly, and Liam Lawson, which bunched up the field and opened a strategic pit window that later favored Mercedes.
Antonelli responded by pitting earlier on Lap 27, executing the undercut to retake effective track position from Norris at the front before keeping the race lead to the checquered flag.
Tire management also proved decisive in the Miami heat, with Antonelli executing a clean, controlled run to the flag.
Norris ultimately settled for second in what looked like a winnable race, while Oscar Piastri completed a McLaren double podium with a late charge, pulling off decisive overtakes on Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in the closing laps.
George Russell finished fourth, while Verstappen crossed the line fifth despite spinning in Turn 2 of the first lap and serving a post-race five-second penalty for breaching pit exit procedures under Safety Car conditions, a sanction that did not change his finishing position.
Ferrari’s race unraveled late as Leclerc, who had been in podium contention, spun on the final lap and was later handed a 20-second penalty for repeatedly leaving the track and gaining an advantage, dropping him down the order.
Lewis Hamilton was promoted to sixth, followed by Franco Colapinto, with Leclerc classified eighth. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon completed the top 10.
Kimi, Mercedes in full control
The result had immediate championship implications as Antonelli stretched his lead from just seven points before Miami to 20 after the race, becoming the youngest driver to build such an advantage at the top.
He now leads the driver's championship with 100 points, ahead of his teammate Russell on 80, with Leclerc third on 59. Norris and Hamilton are tied on 51, with Piastri close behind on 43.
In the constructors’ race, Mercedes tightened its grip at the top with 180 points, ahead of Ferrari on 110 and McLaren on 94, with Red Bull a distant fourth at 30.
The weekend ultimately highlighted a clear trend. Norris and McLaren showed resurgence in race pace, but Antonelli and Mercedes continued to deliver where it mattered most, converting pole into victory and strengthening their hold on both championships.
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