Kimi Antonelli clinched another win in Miami, bolstering his lead in the championship. Meanwhile, McLaren showed promise, and Charles Leclerc faced strategic setbacks.
Kimi Antonelli seems to be making winning a habit, as the Mercedes driver notched his third consecutive victory at the Miami Grand Prix. This triumph extends his lead in the Drivers' Championship to a solid 20 points. Notably, Mercedes achieved this without the flurry of upgrades their competitors had brought to the Sunshine State. While Antonelli dazzled, his teammate George Russell found himself off the podium again, marking a second such finish in a row.
F1 correspondent Lawrence Barretto and F1 TV pundit James Hinchcliffe joined Tom Clarkson in dissecting the weekend's events. The race kicked off with its fair share of first-lap dramatics, including Antonelli's lock-up that saw him briefly relinquish the lead. Max Verstappen was also in the mix, though a spin on the opening lap initially set him back before he staged a commendable recovery.
Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, didn't have the best of days. After leading the early laps, Leclerc's race unravelled due to questionable strategy calls from Ferrari. A late-race tangle with Russell and a subsequent spin added salt to the wound, compounded by a post-race time penalty.
McLaren had a day to celebrate, with Lando Norris challenging for the lead before settling for second place. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, impressed with a climb to third, thanks to some gutsy overtakes. The papaya team can be pleased with their progress, though they'll keep an eye on any future Mercedes advancements.
Elsewhere, Alpine showed signs of life, with both cars in the top 10 during qualifying. Unfortunately, Pierre Gasly's race ended early due to a collision, leaving Franco Colapinto to pick up the points as Alpine leapfrogged Haas in the Constructors' standings.
Audi's reliability woes persisted, with Nico Hulkenberg unable to finish the race and not even starting the Sprint event. However, Williams had reasons to cheer, with both of their cars finishing in the points for the first time this season, thanks to their effective upgrades.
For a full rundown of the weekend's highlights and analysis, tune into the latest episode of _F1 Nation_. And if you have burning questions for the team, send them a voice note at F1Nation@F1.com.