Piastri Leads McLaren 1-2 Victory at Miami Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri secured his third consecutive and fourth overall win of the season in Miami, after starting P4. While Max Verstappen struggled with driveability, Lando Norris’ race craft came under scrutiny again.

McLaren vs. Verstappen

In his 52nd Grand Prix, Piastri drove another race worthy of a future champion. One of its highlights was applying pressure to the leading Verstappen over several laps and eventually forcing him into an uncharacteristic mistake, resulting in Piastri taking the lead of the race, which he would hold on to until the chequered flag.

Verstappen and Norris once again treated fans to a series of exciting duels, beginning with Verstappen pushing Norris off-track at Turn 2, dropping the Briton back to P6. The move went unpunished by the stewards, who deemed that Turns 1–3 aren't suitable for side-by-side racing, and Verstappen had been ahead at the time.

While Norris drove a good race in general and looked to be quicker than Piastri in the closing laps, the Miami Grand Prix was another showcase for why his current form might not put him at the top spot for championship contention. Despite having the faster car, overtaking Verstappen proved tougher than expected, once again revealing a lack of the “killer instinct” that defines the sport’s elite.

Verstappen, clearly unhappy with his Red Bull, described the car as “all over the shop” and the brakes as “useless”, finishing the race in P4.

The Struggle of the Weathermen and TV Directors

A looming threat of rain hovered over the race, with teams' forecasts varying wildly on when it would eventually hit the track situated between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. This was a major factor in teams' strategies, as a torrential downpour just after a tire swap to a dry compound could mean losing significant track position. In the end, only a few drops fell on the track, having no effect on teams' tire choices.

The international TV direction was equally unable to predict the action on the track, again missing key moments of the race, such as intense fights between Verstappen and Norris and the incidents in lap one.

Mercedes’ Stealthy Podium, Ferrari’s Public Feud, and Williams’ Best Weekend in Years

Kimi Antonelli had a strong start and was briefly in the mix for the lead, keeping teammate George Russell behind him early on. However, a misjudged entry into Turn 1 mirroring Verstappen’s error forced him to let Alexander Albon in the Williams through. Antonelli ultimately finished 6th.

Russell’s drive to his fourth podium of the season was another under-the-radar masterclass. Seldom shown on screen, the Brit maximized his strategy and capitalized on a well-timed Virtual Safety Car pit stop. Despite finishing over 30 seconds behind the McLarens, Russell once again got everything out of the Mercedes.

Williams’ P5 and P9 finish marked their strongest result since the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix,  or, for those discounting that rain-shortened event, since Baku 2017. The FW47 looked to be comfortably the fourth-fastest car of the race, ahead of the Ferrari and Racing Bull. There was some trouble along the way though: Albon appeared to ignore team orders not to pass Carlos Sainz, after the Spaniard had helped him stay within DRS range to fend off the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc. Sainz’s race ended on a sour note when he clumsily collided with Hamilton on the final lap. Fortunately, both were able to continue and finish.

Ferrari’s SF-25 has struggled at most tracks this year, but Miami seemed to expose its flaws even more starkly. Lewis Hamilton was stuck behind Esteban Ocon’s Haas for several laps in a frustrating fight for 10th. Beyond the lack of raw pace, Ferrari’s indecisiveness on strategy hurt their result. Running 7th and 8th for long stretches of the latter half of the race, with the respective car behind appearing faster for many laps at a time. Ferrari did switch Leclerc's and Hamilton's positions, but it took them 6 laps to come to that decision, and another 6 to perform the switch back, angering both drivers in the process and costing them their chance to catch up to Antonelli.

An Early Farewell?

Jack Doohan’s race ended on Lap 1 with a puncture after contact with Liam Lawson’s Racing Bull. It may have also marked his final appearance for Alpine. Rumors are swirling (and have been since the beginning of the season) that he could be replaced by Argentine driver Franco Colapinto, who took over Logan Sargeant’s seat at Williams for the last 9 races of the 2024 season and currently serves as Alpine’s reserve driver.