Oscar Piastri Dominates Miami Grand Prix for a Commanding…. read more
Oscar Piastri delivered a near-perfect performance at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, leading McLaren to a dominant one-two finish and extending his lead in the drivers’ standings. The Australian driver controlled the race from the front, finishing comfortably ahead of teammate Lando Norris, who recovered from early-race drama to take second place. Mercedes’ George Russell rounded out the podium in third, thanks to an effective pit strategy.
Piastri’s win marked another high point in a stellar season, and his rise to the top of the championship standings seems increasingly assured. With this victory, Piastri now holds 131 points, putting him 16 points ahead of Norris, who sits second with 115. Verstappen, the defending world champion, lags in third with 99 points following a challenging day on track.
The race began under the Miami sunshine, just outside the Hard Rock Stadium, with immediate action as Norris attempted to challenge Verstappen. However, he ran wide during the overtaking move and lost three positions. Over team radio, Norris claimed Verstappen forced him off-track, but no investigation followed. Despite the early setback, Norris fought back to reclaim second, though he acknowledged that the incident cost him a shot at the win.
Post-race, Norris reflected: “I paid the price at the start, but that’s the way it is. I’m happy to come home second for the team.” Meanwhile, Piastri was quick to appreciate how far the team has come: “Two years ago in Miami, we were the slowest team – I think we got lapped twice,” he said. His calm, composed drive contrasted with the early-race tussling between Norris and Verstappen, which allowed him to break away from the pack.
Piastri also mentioned how difficult the weekend had been leading up to Sunday’s race: “Yesterday was tricky, the sprint didn’t go well, and qualifying was probably my worst session of the year. There was some argy-bargy at the start, but I managed to get away from Max and focus on my race.”
Russell, who placed third, expressed his satisfaction, joking that Norris might be upset with him—not for the race, but because of an earlier incident while playing with Lego cars.
Verstappen, finishing fourth and nearly 40 seconds behind the leader, had little to celebrate. Despite being within five seconds of Russell, his struggles continue to raise questions about Red Bull’s current form. Yuki Tsunoda, his teammate, finished 10th, though that position included a five-second time penalty.
Further down the field, Alex Albon delivered a standout drive for Williams to secure fifth, while Mercedes’ young rookie Kimi Antonelli finished a respectable sixth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed in seventh and eighth, respectively. However, Ferrari’s race was turbulent, especially for Hamilton, who endured a series of tense radio exchanges with his race engineer over team orders and positioning.
Hamilton voiced his frustration while stuck behind Leclerc, recalling how he had moved aside for team strategy in China and expected the same treatment. After a delayed call from the pit wall, he sarcastically snapped, “Have a tea break while you’re at it, come on!” Later, when informed that Carlos Sainz was catching up, Hamilton remarked, “Want me to let him past as well?”
Sainz, now racing for Williams, did manage to pass Hamilton late in the race but collided with him in the process. The incident remains under review, and Sainz could potentially face a second penalty after a questionable move. Regardless, he was classified ninth, just ahead of Tsunoda.
Isack Hadjar narrowly missed out on the points, finishing 11th—just behind Tsunoda—which spared Red Bull from the awkward scenario of their junior team outshining the senior squad. Esteban Ocon (Haas) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine) also finished on the lead lap. Nico Hülkenberg (Kick Sauber), Fernando Alonso, and Lance Stroll (both Aston Martin) all finished a lap down.
The race saw four retirements. Jack Doohan retired on the opening lap due to a puncture, while Ollie Bearman’s Haas suffered an engine failure on lap 29. Gabriel Bortoleto’s Sauber later came to a stop on the back straight, triggering another virtual safety car. Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls was the final DNF, after severe damage to his car’s floor left him uncompetitive.
After the race, the top three drivers made their way to the podium, then to the cooldown room, where Piastri watched the start of the race replay for the first time. As they celebrated their achievements, the broader significance of the result became clear: McLaren has firmly established itself as the team to beat, and Piastri, once considered a rising star, now looks like a title favorite.
Top 10 – Miami Grand Prix 2025:
1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +4.630s
3. George Russell (Mercedes) +37.644s
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +39.956s
5. Alex Albon (Williams) +48.067s
6. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +55.502s
7. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +57.036s
8. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +60.186s
9. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +60.577s
10. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) +74.434s
