McLaren’s Oscar Piastri claimed his fourth win in six races with a commanding drive at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, leading teammate Lando Norris to a 1-2 finish in a race filled with drama, strategic battles, and on-track tension.
Starting from fourth, Piastri showed race-winning precision, overtaking both Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to take control at the front. Once in the lead, he expertly managed the pace to keep Norris at bay in the second half of the race.
Norris had a tough start, dropping to sixth after running wide while challenging Verstappen. However, he mounted a strong recovery, eventually overtaking the Red Bull driver and closing in on Piastri, though he never got close enough to mount a serious challenge.
Verstappen, meanwhile, saw his podium hopes dashed after a poorly timed virtual safety car allowed Mercedes’ George Russell to leapfrog him into third during pit stops. Despite closing the gap, the Red Bull driver couldn’t regain the position and had to settle for fourth.
Key Highlights from Miami:
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Piastri’s win marks McLaren’s first three-race victory streak since Mika Häkkinen in the late ’90s.
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Norris and Piastri both overtook Verstappen with clean, strategic moves.
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George Russell capitalized on VSC timing to secure third place.
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Ferrari faced internal strife as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc battled over team orders.
Piastri’s move on Verstappen came after several laps of pressure, eventually forcing the Dutch driver into an error at Turn 1 on lap 14. Norris also cleared Verstappen a few laps later, sealing McLaren’s dominance on the day.
Verstappen’s Red Bull faded after his pit stop, falling behind Russell and struggling to make up ground. A post-race protest over Russell’s alleged failure to slow under yellow flags was dismissed by stewards.
Ferrari Drama Over Team Radio
Behind the top four, Ferrari’s race was complicated by strategy conflicts. Hamilton, now racing in red, urged the team to let him pass Leclerc due to differing tyre strategies. Though initially rejected, the team later relented. However, Hamilton was eventually ordered to give the place back—sparking frustration and a terse radio exchange between both drivers and the pit wall.
Carlos Sainz attempted a late move on Hamilton but had to settle for ninth, while Yuki Tsunoda claimed the final point for Red Bull despite a five-second penalty.
Updated Championship Standings
Piastri now leads the world championship by 16 points over Norris, with Verstappen a further 16 points behind in third.
The next race on the Formula 1 calendar is expected to bring even more intensity as McLaren builds momentum and the championship race heats up.