Antonelli wins Miami Grand Prix, third straight

Formula 1 has a new shape right now — and it’s a lot younger than expected. Kimi Antonelli, still just 19, won the Miami Grand Prix on May 3 for Mercedes and made it three straight victories. That matters because this isn’t a lucky wet race or a one-off strategy steal. It’s starting to look like the opening phase of a real title campaign, with Mercedes setting the pace and McLaren close enough to make every weekend messy. ### What actually happened in Miami? Antonelli started from pole, got dragged into immediate trouble at Turn 1, and still came out with the win. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were part of the early fight, Verstappen spun, and the race kept shifting underneath everyone through the pit cycle. But Antonelli stayed in it, got back to the front, and then held off sustained pressure from Lando Norris to the flag. Norris finished second and Oscar Piastri made it a double McLaren podium in third. (formula1.com) ### Why is the “third straight” part such a big deal? Because three in a row changes the story from “promising rookie” to “championship threat.” Antonelli has now won the Chinese, Japanese, and Miami Grands Prix in succession, and Miami added another layer — he became the first driver in F1 history to win his first three races from his first three pole positions. That’s not just a nice stat. It tells you Mercedes and Antonelli are converting speed into clean weekends with almost no wasted chances. (formula1.com) ### How did Mercedes beat McLaren? The key move was strategy. Miami showed McLaren had real race pace, and Norris looked capable of controlling the race after the early phases. Mercedes flipped that by pitting Antonelli early enough to undercut Norris, which gave Antonelli track position once the stops shook out. In modern F1, that’s often the whole game — clean air is like getting first pick in traffic. Once Antonelli was ahead, he could manage the race instead of chase it. (bleacherreport.com) ### Was this just another dominant Mercedes weekend? Not really — and that’s what makes it more interesting. Mercedes still looked like the most complete team over the full weekend, with Antonelli on pole again, but Miami also showed the gap is not huge. McLaren won the sprint and had enough Sunday pace to keep Antonelli under pressure almost the whole way. So the headline is a Mercedes win, but the subtext is that this title fight may be tighter than the streak alone suggests. (racingnews365.com) ### Where does George Russell fit in? Russell finished fifth in Miami, which matters because Antonelli’s biggest championship reference point is still inside his own garage. Antonelli extended his lead over Russell to 20 points after Miami, and that’s a meaningful early cushion. Beating the field is one thing. Beating a proven teammate in the same car is usually the faster way to convince everyone the run is real. (racingnews365.com) ### So is Antonelli now the favorite? He’s at least in that conversation now. Four rounds into 2026, Mercedes has the fastest all-round package often enough, Antonelli is converting poles into wins, and the mistakes you expect from a teenager just haven’t shown up much on Sundays. The catch is that F1 seasons turn fast — one upgrade swing, one bad weekend, one reliability hit. McLaren already looks close enough to punish any slip. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What’s the bottom line? Miami was the race that made Antonelli’s season feel solid instead of surprising. He didn’t just drive away in a dominant car. He survived chaos, used strategy, absorbed pressure, and still won. That’s the profile of someone who might actually carry a title fight deep into the year — not just a teenager having a hot start. (formula1.com) (fia.com)