Kimi Antonelli holds off Verstappen to win Miami GP — third straight victory

Formula 1 has its first real 2026 title story now — and it’s not subtle. Kimi Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday, May 3, and this one mattered because he didn’t just disappear from pole and cruise. He had to recover from a messy first lap, survive a chaotic race, and then hold off Lando Norris when the strategy window opened. That made it three straight grand prix wins for the 19-year-old Mercedes driver — and a much louder statement than a routine pole-to-flag drive. (formula1.com) ### Why did this feel bigger than another win? Because Miami looked like the kind of race that could finally break Mercedes’ grip. The start was messy, the surface was still tricky after early storms, and Antonelli immediately lost control of the situation when he went wide defending int(formula1.com) where a young driver can get dragged into mistakes. Antonelli didn’t. He reset and worked back into it. (formula1.com) ### What actually happened at the start? Pole didn’t buy Antonelli much. He had Verstappen alongside, Leclerc launching from third, and everyone braking into a damp, sketchy first corner. Antonelli ran wide trying to cover off the attack, Leclerc grabbed the lead, and Verstappen’s race w(formula1.com)ht out Safety Car periods, so the race never settled into a normal rhythm. (formula1.com) ### So how did Antonelli get back on top? First with pace, then with timing. He reclaimed the lead early, lost it again as the front pack cycled through different phases, and then the decisive moment came around the single-stop pit window. Antonelli stopped just before Norris on lap 28. (formula1.com) turned on one of F1’s oldest tricks, and Mercedes nailed it. (sports.yahoo.com) ### Why couldn’t Norris take it back? Norris had the pace to stay close, but not the clean air or tire advantage to make the final move. Once Antonelli cleared Verstappen — who had briefly cycled forward because of an earlier stop after his spin — he could build a buffer(sports.yahoo.com)he closing laps instead of defending corner by corner. (formula1.com) ### Where did Verstappen fit in? Mostly as the race’s early disruptor. He started second, got tangled up in the opening fight, spun, and had to recover from deep in the field. He still came back to finish fifth, which tells you the Red Bull had speed, but the spin killed any realistic sh(formula1.com)’s bigger post-race penalty dropped the Ferrari back to eighth. (formula1.com) ### What about the rest of the podium? McLaren had strong race pace again. Norris took second, and Oscar Piastri grabbed third after passing Leclerc late in the race. George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes, which matters almost as much as Antonelli’s win because it kept the team’s season-opening run intact. Through four races, Mercedes has won all four grands prix and all four poles. Antonelli now leads Russell by 20 points. (sports.yahoo.com) ### Why is this turning into a championship story? Because Antonelli’s wins aren’t all the same shape. China and Japan already showed he could convert pole. Miami showed he could recover after losing control of the race and still make the key strategic moment count. He a(sports.yahoo.com)ce season, Mercedes looks complete — and Antonelli looks less like a prodigy and more like the guy everyone else has to catch. (formula1.com) ### Bottom line? Miami didn’t just add another trophy. It showed Antonelli can win the untidy ones too — and that’s usually when a fast start becomes a real title campaign.