By Sir Daniel David
MIAMI — Kimi Antonelli continued his blistering start to the 2026 Formula 1 season by winning the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, May 3, securing his third consecutive victory.
The 19-year-old Mercedes driver, starting from his third successive pole position, finished 3.264 seconds ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris after 57 laps at the Miami International Autodrome. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took third place. Antonelli has now become the first driver in Formula 1 history to win his first three Grands Prix from his first three pole positions.
The race unfolded under uncertain and tricky conditions. Thick cloud cover hung over the circuit, with periods of light drizzle creating variable grip levels throughout the afternoon. Organizers moved the start time forward by three hours in anticipation of possible heavier rain, forcing teams to adapt strategies on short notice.
Antonelli faced immediate pressure from the lights out. He lost the lead into Turn 1 after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc made an aggressive move that forced him wide. The Mercedes driver responded swiftly, reclaiming first place later on the opening lap with a strong late-braking maneuver into Turn 11. That early battle set the tone for a race that demanded constant focus and adaptability.
McLaren’s Lando Norris emerged as the primary challenger, closing the gap significantly during the second stint and pressuring Antonelli to within half a second at one stage. The Italian responded with composed defense, particularly through the stadium section, while managing minor gearbox temperature concerns. A well-executed one-stop strategy by Mercedes helped him maintain the lead to the checkered flag.
Max Verstappen, who started alongside Antonelli on the front row, struggled with balance issues and finished outside the podium. George Russell recovered to fourth place for Mercedes.
With the victory, Antonelli now leads the Drivers’ Championship by 20 points after the first three rounds of the season. His run of three consecutive poles and three consecutive wins has drawn significant attention across the paddock and marked one of the strongest opening stretches by any driver in recent F1 history.
“Three poles and three wins — it feels unreal,” Antonelli said on the podium. “But the car is working well, the team made smart calls all weekend, and we stayed focused even when the weather tried to complicate things.”
The Miami Grand Prix highlighted the strategic demands of modern Formula 1 racing. Teams had to balance pace with tire management and mechanical reliability amid the intermittent light rain that never escalated into a full wet race but kept conditions changeable.
McLaren demonstrated strong form with both cars on the podium, while Ferrari showed competitive one-lap pace but ultimately lacked the race-long consistency of the leaders. The result strengthens Mercedes’ position early in the 2026 constructors’ battle.
Formula 1 now turns its attention to the Canadian Grand Prix followed by Monaco, where Antonelli will look to extend his remarkable early-season momentum. While it is still early in the campaign, his ability to overcome setbacks at the start and perform under pressure in variable weather has impressed drivers, teams, and observers alike.
The event, held before a packed crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, further cemented Miami’s status as one of the premier venues on the calendar and provided a compelling showcase for the sport’s rising talent.
