Antonelli's perfect record holds at Miami

F1WKLY Issue #8 | Antonelli's perfect record holds at Miami

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DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

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CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP

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SPRINT QUALIFYING AND RACE

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Lando Norris charged to pole in Sprint Qualifying on Friday, sealing the first non-Mercedes pole of 2026. He put down a 1m 27.869s, beating Kimi Antonelli by over two-tenths with Oscar Piastri close behind in third.

Come Saturday, Norris controlled the Sprint from start to finish. He led cleanly away from pole and never looked back. Piastri moved up to second, giving McLaren a 1-2. Charles Leclerc held third, while Antonelli dropped back after a five-second track limit penalty post-race.

McLaren's upgraded package worked perfectly over the sprint distance. Norris and Piastri looked sharp and coordinated. But this pace wouldn't carry into Sunday as cleanly as they hoped.

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LAP 1 CHAOS

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Lap 1 was a minefield. Charles Leclerc seized the lead from pole, but two corners later Max Verstappen spun fighting him for first place. The spin sent Verstappen backwards down the order and buried his race before it started.

Verstappen recovered to fifth by the end, but that opening lap spin cost him dearly. Had he stayed clean, he would have had a genuine shot at podium contention. Instead he had to fight back through the field, taking a five-second penalty for a pit exit violation along the way.

The opening lap set the tone for Verstappen's weekend. He showed pace in the upgrade package but couldn't execute when it mattered most.

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ANTONELLI WRITES HISTORY AT MIAMI

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Kimi Antonelli won his third consecutive race from pole position at Miami, becoming the first driver in F1 history to convert his first three career poles into wins. It's an unprecedented rookie achievement that marks him as a once-in-a-generation talent.

Antonelli controlled the race from lap 13, building a gap over Lando Norris and crossing the line 3.264 seconds clear. His maturity and consistency have been extraordinary. He's already broken Lewis Hamilton's rookie points record and holds multiple age records including youngest pole-sitter and youngest race leader.

Norris led early but lost out on strategy and execution. Oscar Piastri finished third, leaving McLaren with 2-3 when they had the pace to win. Mercedes now leads both championships with a rookie leading the way.

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COLAPINTO'S BEST RESULT

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Franco Colapinto claimed his best-ever F1 result with seventh place in Miami, just days after performing demo runs in front of 600,000 home fans in Buenos Aires. The Argentine driver out-qualified Pierre Gasly for the first time this season and battled Lewis Hamilton on the opening lap.

Alpine's new upgrade package proved effective for both drivers. Gasly finished eighth and scored a point in the sprint earlier. Colapinto was promoted to seventh after Leclerc's penalty and left Miami proud of the performance. He said the team's pace improvement has given him confidence going forward.

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IS THE 2ND RED BULL SEAT CURSED?

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Isack Hadjar's Miami weekend summed up Red Bull's second seat curse. He got disqualified from qualifying on a technical infringement, started from the pit lane, made good progress in the opening laps, then clipped a kerb at Turn 13 and crashed into the wall on lap 6.

Hadjar was fuming. He hit the steering wheel in frustration after losing all the work he had done. Red Bull brought a major upgrade package to Miami and Hadjar had the pace to fight back, but one mistake wiped it away.

Verstappen finished fifth and managed points. Hadjar scored zero after throwing away an opportunity. The gap between them widened again. Red Bull's second seat has been a graveyard all season.

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LAWSON'S GEARBOX FAILURE TAKES OUT GASLY

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Liam Lawson's Racing Bulls suffered a sudden gearbox failure at Turn 17, causing him to lose brakes and collect Pierre Gasly. The impact flipped Gasly's Alpine, leaving it partially on its side against the barrier.

Gasly walked away uninjured but was devastated. Alpine had a strong weekend, and the collision cost them big points. Lawson was cleared by stewards after telemetry confirmed the gearbox failure was mechanical. He had no warning before hitting brakes and going straight to neutral.

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LECLERC'S FINAL LAP DISASTER

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Charles Leclerc was fighting for a podium when disaster struck on the final lap. Oscar Piastri passed him for P3 on lap 56, and Leclerc went for a desperate move through Turn 3 on the last lap. He spun and hit the wall hard. His car was damaged but he limped on toward the chequered flag, desperate to salvage points.

The problem was his Ferrari wouldn't turn right anymore. Leclerc had to cut chicanes repeatedly on the final lap to get the car to the line. He finished sixth on track but was investigated post-race for leaving the track and gaining an advantage by cutting the circuit.

The stewards ruled that although his car had damage, there was no mechanical justification for the repeated track cuts. Leclerc got a 20-second penalty. He dropped from P6 to P8 in the final classification. A mistake that cost him podium points and left him devastated. He said afterwards that the final lap spin was all on him.

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NEXT RACE PREVIEW

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May 22-24 · Circuit Gilles Villeneuve · Round 5

Canada brings street circuit racing back to the calendar, and McLaren will be hunting redemption after execution cost them victory in Miami. Tighter margins and less room for error mean precision matters more than pace.

Norris showed he has the speed. Now he needs the strategy and timing to convert it into wins. Expect a tight battle between Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari.

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WHAT TO WATCH FOR

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FAST FACTS

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Race Distance: 305.27km

Number of Laps: 70

Circuit Length: 4.361km

First Grand Prix: 1978

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