Kimi Antonelli Triumphs in Thrilling F1 Miami Grand Prix

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – In front of a sellout crowd, 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli secured a brilliant victory in a thrilling and dramatic FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX in Miami Gardens this afternoon. Starting from pole position, the Mercedes driver kept clear of the chaos to deliver a commanding performance, extending his lead in the Drivers’ Championship by 20 points. He also became the first driver in F1 history to win his first three races from pole position. Lando Norris finished less than four seconds behind in second, with McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri completing the podium in third.

“This is just the beginning,” said the delighted Mercedes driver. “The road is still long, but we’re working super hard and the team is doing an incredible job — without them I wouldn’t be here. Thanks to them and my family, I’m going to enjoy this one.”

Purple rain, purple rainnnn ☔️ pic.twitter.com/6K7wrZWB8A

— F1 Miami Grand Prix (@f1miami) May 3, 2026

The start time of the fifth Formula 1 race to be held in Miami Gardens was brought forward by three hours to avoid the threat of thunderstorms sweeping across South Florida. Despite heavy rain earlier in the morning, the race — which began at 1 p.m. — was ultimately held in dry conditions at the Miami International Autodrome.

But even under overcast skies, the energy around the campus was electric. A host of world-famous celebrities were in attendance, including sporting icons Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Rafael Nadal and Bam Adebayo, alongside TV presenter Jimmy Fallon and actors Colin Farrell and Patrick Dempsey. On the entertainment front, Kane Brown and Loud Luxury performed on campus, while Two Friends closed the day with a vibrant podium performance after the race. On the grid, drivers were treated to a stirring rendition of the U.S. National Anthem by 10-year-

old Miami vocalist and pianist Alexandria “Alley” Arango.

History made in Miami! 🙌#MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/UXVVybBTTK

— F1 Miami Grand Prix (@f1miami) May 3, 2026

At lights out, pole-sitter Antonelli braked late into Turn 1 and narrowly avoided Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who emerged with the lead. Moments later, chaos erupted as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen attempted to challenge for P1 but clipped the kerb and spun dramatically in front of the field. Remarkably, everyone avoided making contact with the spinning Red Bull, but he dropped to tenth. In the mayhem, Norris capitalised to move into third behind Antonelli and leader Leclerc.

Further drama then followed as two separate incidents triggered a Safety Car on lap five. First, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar — starting from the pit lane after a qualifying disqualification — crashed heavily at Turn 15 after clipping the wall through the chicane. Later around the same lap, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson locked up into Turn 17 and made contact with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, flipping the Frenchman’s car into a roll. Despite landing on the tyre barrier, Gasly was able to climb out unaided.

During the Safety Car phase, Verstappen pitted for hard tyres, dropping to 16th but committing to a bold alternate strategy that would see him run to the flag. As the race restarted, Norris led Antonelli by a narrow margin, with Leclerc, Piastri and George Russell in close pursuit. At this stage, teams faced uncertainty over potential rain, with conflicting forecasts influencing strategy calls.

Taking it home 🏆#MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/2ErCjmdb2q

— F1 Miami Grand Prix (@f1miami) May 3, 2026

The pivotal moment came on lap 27, when Mercedes trusted their weather data and brought Antonelli into the pits. At the time, he trailed Norris by 1.9 seconds, but when the McLaren stopped a lap later, Antonelli emerged 0.6 seconds ahead — a decisive swing in track position.

Following the pit cycle, Verstappen briefly inherited the lead but was unable to hold off the charging pack on his worn tyres. With 17 laps remaining, Antonelli led Norris by 1.8 seconds and managed the gap expertly despite pressure and minor gearbox concerns which he voiced over team radio. In the closing stages, Piastri overtook Leclerc on the penultimate lap to claim third after a fierce battle. Leclerc, pushing to respond, spun and sustained damage to his left-front tyre.

Behind them, Russell and Verstappen engaged in a thrilling scrap for position, both ultimately passing the struggling Ferrari in the final corner. It was a dramatic conclusion to an enthralling race. On the podium, the top three drivers and winning constructor were presented trophies by Stephen M. Ross, Managing General Partner of the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX, Tom Garfinkel, Managing Partner of the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX and Katharina Nowak, President of the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX.

Earlier in the day, there was an exciting Formula 2 race, as Italian Gabriele Mini mastered the wet conditions to claim Feature Race victory. It was an inspired drive from the Alpine Academy driver, who seized the lead on the penultimate lap and held on for a remarkable win. Following a thunderstorm earlier in the morning, the F2 field initially circulated behind the Safety Car on a soaking track. Once the racing got underway, yesterday’s Sprint race winner Nikola Tsolov was caught up in an incident at the first corner, prompting another Safety Car.

It was one of several appearances for the Safety Car, as drivers struggled for grip in the slippery conditions. As a result, the scheduled distance of 30 laps was converted into a timed-out race, running to a 60-minute limit. In a dramatic climax, leaders Rafael Camara and Dino Beganovic ran wide at the final corner, opening the door for Mini to surge into the lead and secure a memorable victory. It was a fitting conclusion to a superb double-header, as Formula 2 made its North American debut. Fans are encouraged to join the priority list for early access to purchase tickets for the FORMULA 1 CRYPTO.COM MIAMI GRAND PRIX 2027 at f1miamigp.com.