Antonelli Claims Third Consecutive Victory at Chaotic Miami Grand Prix
Kimi Antonelli claimed his third consecutive Formula 1 victory at the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off McLaren's Lando Norris by 3.264 seconds to extend his championship lead to 20 points over team-mate George Russell. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver converted pole position into a win for the third race running — a feat unprecedented in Formula 1 history — after recovering from a sluggish start, a track limits warning, and an electrical fault in his steering wheel during the 57-lap race. Oscar Piastri completed the podium in third for McLaren. Russell finished fourth. Antonelli now leads the Drivers' Championship with 100 points, while McLaren's challenge is growing stronger.
Post-Race Penalties Shuffle Miami Results: Leclerc Drops to Eighth, Verstappen Keeps Fifth
The Miami Grand Prix final classification arrived only after a series of post-race FIA investigations. Charles Leclerc received a 20-second time penalty for repeatedly cutting corners following a late-race spin while chasing Oscar Piastri for third. The Ferrari driver had left the track at Turns 8, 11 and the Turn 14/15 chicane, with stewards ruling he gained a lasting advantage. The penalty dropped Leclerc from third to eighth. Max Verstappen received a five-second penalty for crossing the white pit-exit line but retained fifth place, finishing nine seconds ahead of sixth-placed Lewis Hamilton. George Russell was investigated for contact with Leclerc but faced no further punishment.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Autosport
FIA Faces Sharp Criticism After Verstappen Pit-Exit Penalty Decision
Max Verstappen's five-second penalty for crossing the pit-exit white line at Miami drew sharp criticism across the Formula 1 community. Red Bull and several commentators argued the punishment was disproportionate. The stewards delayed their ruling until after the race, citing insufficient real-time footage, before additional camera angles confirmed the infringement. Pundit Olav Mol described the decision as "pathetic," saying evidence on the onboard video did not justify the call. The stewards also cleared George Russell and Verstappen of any wrongdoing in their wheel-to-wheel contact, ruling it a racing incident. Verstappen's fifth-place result was unaffected by the penalty due to the gap behind Hamilton.
Lawson Gearbox Failure Sends Gasly Flying at Miami in Frightening Incident
Pierre Gasly's Alpine was launched into the barriers on lap six of the Miami Grand Prix after contact from Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson, who suffered a sudden gearbox failure under braking for Turn 17. Unable to slow the car in time, Lawson collided with Gasly, flipping the Alpine into the air. Stewards ruled the incident a mechanical failure and imposed no penalty on Lawson, who also retired with extensive damage. Gasly confirmed via team radio he was uninjured. The crash came moments after Isack Hadjar had retired at Turn 13, both incidents combining to trigger a safety car that reshuffled the field.
Sources: Motorsport.com, Crash.net
FIA President Confirms V8 Engine Return for Formula 1 by 2031
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed during the Miami Grand Prix weekend that Formula 1 will return to V8 engines no later than 2031. If four of the six power unit manufacturers — Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, General Motors, Audi and Red Bull — vote in favour, the switch can happen for 2030. Otherwise the FIA will mandate the change for 2031. The new specification will carry minimal electrification, a dramatic reduction from the current near-equal combustion-to-electric power split. Mercedes signalled support for a V8 return provided some battery element remains, while Red Bull also expressed openness to the proposal.
Sources: Autosport, The Race, GrandPrix247
F1's 2026 Rule Changes Pass First Test in Miami — Drivers Say More Work Needed
Formula 1's mid-season regulation adjustments received a cautious welcome in Miami, with drivers welcoming improvements while calling for further action. The FIA reduced the qualifying harvesting limit from eight to seven megajoules and capped MGU-K deployment during non-acceleration zones — measures designed to reduce the on-off power surges that had made racing difficult in the season's opening rounds. Reigning champion Lando Norris called the changes "a small step in the right direction" but said the series had not yet reached an acceptable standard. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc agreed only marginal improvements were visible on track. A new automatic MGU-K deployment system to prevent stall-related incidents also debuted at Miami.
Sources: Autosport, Motorsport.com
Sainz Accuses Verstappen of Borderline Tactics in Miami Midfield Battle
Williams driver Carlos Sainz publicly criticised Max Verstappen's racecraft after the Dutchman made an aggressive lunge up the inside of Turn 17 during the Miami Grand Prix. Sainz described the move as "borderline," accusing Verstappen of exploiting the expectation that midfield drivers would yield to avoid a collision. "It felt like we were going to crash, and he took me off track, and I lost three positions," Sainz told reporters. Verstappen, who was fighting back through the field after his opening-lap spin, defended his right to race hard in the midfield. The stewards took no action on the incident after their post-race review concluded it did not warrant a penalty.
Rivals' Major Miami Upgrades Narrow the Gap to Mercedes
Every team except Aston Martin brought development packages to Miami, with Ferrari introducing 11 aerodynamic changes to the SF-26, covering the floor, suspension, rear wing and bodywork. McLaren and Red Bull each brought seven updates. Mercedes, by contrast, arrived with a deliberately limited package. Team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the Silver Arrows were "out of sync" with rivals on upgrade timing, though Antonelli still took the race win. Wolff confirmed a more substantial package is planned for Canada in three weeks. Ferrari's investments reduced their constructors' deficit, though Mercedes still lead the championship by 68 points.
Sources: The Race, RaceFans, Sky Sports
Drivers' Championship
1. Kimi Antonelli — 100 pts
2. George Russell — 80 pts
3. Charles Leclerc — 63 pts
4. Lando Norris — 51 pts
5. Lewis Hamilton — 49 pts
6. Oscar Piastri — 43 pts
7. Max Verstappen — 26 pts
8. Oliver Bearman — 17 pts
9. Pierre Gasly — 16 pts
10. Liam Lawson — 10 pts
11. Franco Colapinto — 7 pts
12. Isack Hadjar — 4 pts
13. Arvid Lindblad — 4 pts
14. Carlos Sainz — 3 pts
15. Gabriel Bortoleto — 2 pts
16. Alexander Albon — 2 pts
17. Esteban Ocon — 1 pt
18. Nico Hülkenberg — 0 pts
19. Fernando Alonso — 0 pts
20. Lance Stroll — 0 pts
21. Sergio Pérez — 0 pts
22. Valtteri Bottas — 0 pts
Constructors' Championship
1. Mercedes — 180 pts
2. Ferrari — 112 pts
3. McLaren — 94 pts
4. Red Bull — 30 pts
5. Alpine — 23 pts
6. Haas — 18 pts
7. Racing Bulls — 14 pts
8. Williams — 5 pts
9. Audi — 2 pts
10. Aston Martin — 0 pts
11. Cadillac — 0 pts
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