Kimi Antonelli wins Miami Grand Prix for third straight victory

Italian wunderkind Kimi Antonelli won from the pole for the third consecutive race, claiming the Miami Grand Prix to tighten his hold on the Formula 1 drivers’ championship lead with a strong performance Sunday in Miami Gardens, Florida.

Antonelli, 19, lost the lead to Charles Leclerc on the first lap, quickly regained it and then had to tussle with Lando Norris before retaking the front for good when Norris pitted from the lead around Lap 28.

After winning the Chinese and Japanese Grand Prix back-to-back, Antonelli earned his third career win and further boosted Mercedes atop the manufacturers’ standings. He’s the third driver in F1 history to earn his first three wins in consecutive races, joining Damon Hill and Mika Hakkinen.

McLaren occupied the rest of the podium, as Norris and Oscar Piastri placed second and third.

Leclerc had a dramatic spin during the last lap and, though he avoided the wall, he fell from fourth to sixth as George Russell and Max Verstappen passed him to move into the top five.

Coincidentally, Leclerc benefited from a different spin on the opening lap. Verstappen, who gridded second, spun 360 degrees in the middle of the track while Leclerc moved past Antonelli from third to first. Verstappen was able to recover in short order as he earned his best finish this season.

The race was moved up by three hours to 1 p.m. local time to avoid thunderstorms in the forecast. — Field Level Media