What Happened In The 2026 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix?

The Miami Grand Prix didn’t just bring Formula 1 back after an extended break—it reshaped the early narrative of the 2026 season. Between a third straight win for Kimi Antonelli, a resurgent McLaren, and a suddenly competitive Red Bull.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff called the Miami Grand Prix a "great advertisement" for Formula 1 after an anything but straightforward affair on Sunday afternoon in Miami.

Antonelli extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 20 points over teammate George Russell. It’s a strong start to the season on paper, but the weekend also made it clear that the gap to the rest of the field is anything but comfortable.

Early Chaos Sets the Tone

Any expectation of a measured start disappeared quickly.

Leclerc’s launch off the line put him into the lead before the field even reached Turn 1, while Verstappen’s lock-up and subsequent spin at Turn 2 dropped him deep into the pack. That set off a chain reaction behind, with drivers forced to take evasive action.

The race took a more serious turn shortly after. Isack Hadjar clipped the wall at Turn 14 and retired, while a separate incident between Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson resulted in a heavy crash after Lawson suffered a sudden mechanical failure. Gasly’s car was flipped upside down, prompting a Safety Car.

From there, the race settled into a more strategic rhythm until the closing laps, when Leclerc—running in podium contention earlier—lost control and brushed the wall. The mistake cost him multiple positions, and a subsequent 20-second penalty for repeated track limits violations dropped him further down the order.

Antonelli Wins Under Pressure

Kimi Antonelli’s third consecutive victory made him the first driver in F1 history to win his first three races from his first three pole positions.

The 19-year-old Mercedes driver started from pole but didn’t control the race in the way he had in China or Japan. Instead, Miami forced him into a more complicated fight. He lost ground at Turn 1, found himself in traffic, and had to work past a mix of veteran contenders and race winners, including Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, and Red Bull's mercurial Max Verstappen.

Mercedes’ strategy call—pitting Antonelli on lap 27—set up the decisive moment. His out-lap was strong enough to undercut Norris once McLaren responded a lap later, handing him back track position.

From there, the race didn’t get any easier. Norris stayed within range through the final stint, applying pressure from behind as Antonelli dealt with reported gearbox and throttle concerns. A late threat of rain and track limits scrutiny added another layer, but the Mercedes driver managed the gap without a visible mistake.

McLaren Finds Its Form Again

If anyone doubted McLaren could repeat last year’s mid-season dominance, Miami provided the answer.

The team arrived with a heavily revised package, one that team principal Andrea Stella described as close to a new car. That’s not language teams typically use lightly.

Lando Norris set the tone early with pole in the sprint race and followed it with a sprint victory. His fourth-place result in qualifying for Sunday’s race masked the car's underlying pace, which returned over the full distance as he pressured Antonelli late in the race.

McLaren has taken a meaningful step forward again, and while it didn’t convert that pace into a win on Sunday, both cars finished on the podium. The last time McLaren brought a major upgrade to Miami, it triggered a run that carried through the rest of the season.

Mercedes may still have the upper hand, but the margin is nothing like 2014.

Red Bull Reengages

Red Bull’s weekend in Miami might be the most surprising development of all.

After struggling for answers earlier in the season—most notably in Japan, where both drivers were off the pace—the team arrived in Florida with a comprehensive update package. Revised sidepods and a reworked rear wing concept were part of the changes, but internally, the team also addressed a steering issue that Max Verstappen had been complaining about since pre-season testing.

The result was immediate. Max Verstappen moved back into contention with a front-row start, a huge swing from a team that had recently been fighting just to reach Q3.

It’s still not a complete turnaround. Verstappen himself said that Red Bull isn’t fully where it wants to be. Watch out for the four-time world champion; give him a car capable of staying within shouting distance, and he's sure to do something special.

While Verstappen’s side of the Red Bull garage showed progress, Isack Hadjar’s weekend raised some familiar concerns. The French driver struggled from the outset, at times running nearly a second off his teammate in practice, and never recovered that deficit through qualifying.

A disqualification compounded the issue, and a race incident involving contact with the wall ended any chance of salvaging points.

Russell Faces a Familiar Challenge

On the other side of the championship-leading team, George Russell left Miami with a different kind of problem.

The Mercedes driver pointed to low grip conditions as a limiting factor—something that has tripped up drivers before. It’s a familiar pattern, and one that played a role in Oscar Piastri’s inconsistent run at similar circuits last season.

Miami may not define Russell’s year, but it does add context to the emerging picture at Mercedes. For the first time this season, Antonelli appeared to have a clear edge on pace, rather than benefiting from circumstances.

With several low-grip circuits still to come, it’s an area Russell will need to address if this develops into a sustained title fight between the two teammates.

When Is Formula 1's Next Race?

Formula 1's early-season North American swing will continue as the paddock ships North to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix, which will take place from May 22-24. While F1 has been heading to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Notre Dame Island, in the middle of the St.Lawrence River, since 1978, the race has been moved from its usual mid-June date. This will certainly add some chaos as the mid-May weather in Montreal is anything but predictable.

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