MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 03: Race winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli of Italy and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team takes a bow in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 03, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Sutton - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

Formula 1 via Getty Images

Kimi Antonelli piloted his Mercedes to victory in a thrilling Miami Grand Prix, further extending his lead in the drivers’ championship.

Starting from pole position, the young Italian lost ground at the beginning of the race to Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, slipping back to third place. The 57-lap race saw the lead change hands multiple times, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Max Verstappen in the Red Bull also having their moments at the front.

Antonelli fought back however and reclaimed the lead midway through the race with Norris right behind him, chasing after his first grand prix win of the season.

The Mercedes man managed to hold off Norris’ challenge at the end, crossing the finish line 3.264 seconds ahead and taking his third consecutive victory.

With that, Antonelli made history as the first driver to convert his first three pole positions into race victories.

He also joined an elite group, becoming just the third driver ever to clinch three grand prix victories in a row following world champions Damon Hill and Mika Häkkinen.

Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren snatched third place from Leclerc, who had a late spin that cost him what would have been Ferrari’s fourth podium finish in a row.

Leclerc clipped the wall, and while he managed to continue racing, he lost further positions to George Russell and Verstappen in the last two corners, eventually finishing in sixth.

After the race, the Monegasque was slapped with a 20-second time penalty for leaving the track multiple times without a justifiable reason, dropping him to eighth while teammate Lewis Hamilton inherited P6.

Verstappen also faced a five-second time penalty for crossing the white line at the pit exit but managed to maintain his fifth-place finish thanks to a near 10-second gap to Hamilton.

Franco Colapinto celebrated his best-ever race finish in F1, taking seventh place for Alpine.

Carlos Sainz took ninth in his Williams while teammate Alexander Albon scored the final point in 10th.

With the Miami weekend now wrapped up, Antonelli heads into the next round in Canada armed with 100 points - 20 points clear of his teammate and title rival Russell.

Leclerc clings to third place but is now 21 points behind Russell and 41 points off the lead.

Norris’ second-place finish in Miami bumped him to fourth in the standings, tied with fifth-placed Hamilton at 51 points.

Piastri sits in sixth with 43 points, while Verstappen has climbed two spots to seventh with 27 points.

Check out the full drivers’ and constructors’ standings below.

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