Kimi Antonelli continued his blistering start to the 2026 season with victory in Miami on May 5, holding off pressure from reigning champion Lando Norris to take his third win of the campaign. The Mercedes driver managed the pace across a tense second stint and crossed the line roughly three seconds clear of Norris.
A chaotic opening phase and an early Safety Car shaped the Grand Prix, compressing the field and putting strategy in the spotlight. Once racing settled, Antonelli controlled the tempo, repelling Norris’s pursuit through the final laps to secure another composed Sunday drive.
McLaren locked out the remaining podium places, with Norris second and Oscar Piastri third after a strong, measured run. Their combined haul underlined McLaren’s speed across the weekend and maintained pressure on Mercedes at the front.
George Russell climbed to fourth with a late charge, picking off rivals as the race came to him in the closing stages. Lewis Hamilton endured a quieter afternoon by comparison, unable to mount a similar attack after the restart.
Further back, Ollie Bearman recorded 11th after a consistent drive, just outside the points. Arvid Lindblad advanced to 14th, improving three places from his starting position of 17th.
In the Sprint, Norris headed a McLaren one-two ahead of Piastri, with Charles Leclerc third and Russell fourth. Norris won in 29:15.045 for eight points, Piastri followed at +3.766s for seven, Leclerc was +6.251s for six, and Russell finished +12.951s to collect five points for Mercedes.
Antonelli’s triumph in Miami reinforces the momentum he has built through the opening phase of 2026, while McLaren’s double podium and Sprint success point to an evolving contest at the sharp end. With margins tight and race-day execution decisive, the Norris–Antonelli battle looks set to define the coming rounds.
What to watch next: Teams will now turn their attention to the next stop on the calendar, where setup refinement and tyre management could again prove pivotal. Expect McLaren to challenge Mercedes’ race pace, and keep an eye on Russell’s late-race form as the fight at the front intensifies.
Source: silverstone.co.uk