ANTONELLI OWNS MIAMI: THIRD CONSECUTIVE WIN

It wasn’t a perfect start, but once again, it wasn’t enough to stop him. Kimi Antonelli turns a challenging opening phase into yet another statement victory, taking the win from pole position at the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, the fourth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. After breaking through in Shanghai, the young Italian talent has clearly found his rhythm: Suzuka first, then Florida, building a streak that firmly strengthens his championship lead.

At just 19 years old, the driver from Casalecchio di Reno delivers his third consecutive hat trick (pole and win), becoming the first driver in the short history of the Miami Grand Prix to win Sunday’s race starting from pole. Yet, the opening moments told a different story: off the line, Antonelli lost ground and handed the lead to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. But that’s where his race truly began. Strong race pace, composed management, and the awareness of a seasoned driver allowed him to close the gap and engage in a tight battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris, the dominant force of Saturday’s Sprint.

The decisive moment came in the pits. Antonelli executed a perfectly timed undercut, catching Norris off guard during the Brit’s out lap and taking over the lead. From that point on, the race shifted entirely: calm, precision, and total control, as the young Italian neutralized every attempt from Norris, consistently maintaining a safe margin in key sections of the track and pulling away in the closing laps.

Behind him, McLaren confirmed an outstanding weekend: Norris finished second after a highly consistent performance, while Oscar Piastri secured third with a smart comeback drive, aided in part by the incidents that shook up the race. Chief among them, Max Verstappen’s spin at the start—though he impressively recovered to fifth thanks to an alternative strategy—and the late technical issue that struck Leclerc’s Ferrari, turning him from contender to casualty within just a few laps, dropping him out of podium contention.

It was also a difficult race for George Russell: clearly outmatched by his teammate (over 40 seconds behind at the finish), he still managed to salvage a fourth-place result late in the race, capitalizing on others’ misfortunes. A quieter showing for Lewis Hamilton, who could do no better than seventh with a Ferrari slightly damaged from early contact.

One key takeaway stands out: Mercedes remains unbeaten in Sunday races this season, with Antonelli increasingly the benchmark in the standings, now holding a +20 gap over Russell and +37 over Leclerc.

Final update: Charles Leclerc received a 20-second penalty for unsafe driving and track limits violations in the closing laps due to issues with his car. The decision drops him to eighth place: Hamilton is promoted to sixth, while Franco Colapinto moves up to seventh.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.