Formula One - Miami Gran Prix.

After weeks of waiting—due to the war in Iran which caused the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to be canceled—we are back to talking about Formula 1. This time, we aren't discussing what goes on in the halls of power, but what happens on the track. This round we are in Miami, for the Formula One "Miami Gran Prix" a city famous for its beaches, torrential rain, cocaine, and the Grand Prix held around the Miami Dolphins' football stadium.

As with MotoGP, I will use the "Tops and Flops" tactic for Formula 1. Since this weekend is a "sprint-weekend," there will be two sets of Tops and Flops. Let’s get started.

Formula One - Miami Gran Prix - Sprint.

Top.

McLaren. After a truly difficult start to the season for McLaren (remember they suffered a one-minute gap in Australia from the winner George Russell, powered by Mercedes, just like the two McLarens), the first signs of recovery were seen in Japan, where Piastri stepped onto the podium after a convincing race by both cars. In Miami, the McLarens showed excellent performance in both the sprint qualifying and the Sprint race, securing first and second place. It must be said that in both 2024 and 2025, McLaren always proved to be very strong on this circuit. So, while on one hand it’s not surprising that McLarens do well in Miami, on the other it is gratifying to see the reigning world champion team competing for victory and top positions, even if it’s just a sprint.

Alpine. The French team sacrificed the entirety of 2025, changing engines (from Renault to Mercedes) solely to prepare for 2026 with a competitive car. The first three races were anything but positive, with a non-competitive car and shattered dreams of glory. Miami, at least regarding the sprint, was a very positive experience. Both cars reached Q3 in sprint qualifying and finished in the top ten at the end of the sprint. Obviously, this result needs to be confirmed on Sunday, but it’s a result that brings a good mood.

Leclerc and Verstappen. I’m putting them together because they are extraordinary. These are two drivers who, when they have a good car, know how to be fast and compete. It was clear in Miami: with competitive cars, Leclerc reached the podium in the Sprint and Verstappen secured a convincing fifth place, managing to fight and stay fast in the lead group. The race and the important points are on Sunday, but it’s a great result both because it confirms Ferrari's quality and because this weekend could kick off the hunt for Verstappen's lead.

Flop.

Hadjar and Russell. Bad. For all three previous races, both drivers were always close to or even ahead of their teammates (Max Verstappen and Kimi Antonelli). On Friday and Saturday, they were clearly beaten by their partners. Not great. We’ll wait for Sunday and the main race.

Mercedes. This circuit does not suit the German car. Both Antonelli and Russell struggled to be fast on Friday and Saturday. Many are already saying that the regulation changes have altered everything and that Mercedes will no longer be competitive. That could be. It should also be noted that on Friday and Saturday, track temperatures exceeded 50 degrees with air temperatures at 30. Perhaps the Mercedes doesn't like high temperatures, given that in the three previous rounds, we had mild temperatures and a stellar Mercedes. Let’s wait before judging.

Haas. In the first three races, Haas proved to have an excellent car. Especially with Bearman, the American team knew how to extract all the potential from the car, securing points-paying positions. In Miami, they didn't get anything right. They never seemed competitive on Friday and Saturday, showing an unusual weakness compared to the fine performances seen in the first three race weekends.

Audi. The company that practically forced Formula 1 to have an engine split 50-50 between thermal and electric isn't even capable of having a reliable car. In Australia, it was Bortoleto's turn not to start; in China, it was Hulkenberg; in Miami, both had technical problems on Saturday. It’s truly laughable that a team demands something, raining heavy criticism down on the entire sport, and then is unable to do that very thing.

Williams and Aston Martin. I will keep putting them in the flops until they show they can keep their word. Williams and Aston Martin entered 2026 claiming to be competitive and aiming for great results. Then Williams designs a car that doesn't pass safety tests, so they design a new safe but heavy car, while Aston Martin finds itself with a failing Honda engine and a car that is perhaps too extreme. A terrible 2026 so far.

Cadillac. Nothing to say. Everything is new. I’ll probably keep them in the flops until the end of the season, barring any major surprises.

Formula One - Miami Gran Prix - Race.

Top.

Kimi Antonelli. A beautiful start to the season. Second place in Australia, two consecutive victories in China and Japan. In Miami, Saturday morning's sprint didn't go very well, starting very poorly, but it wasn't a problem. On Saturday afternoon something changed in the car, he fixed the set-up, found his pace, and secured a beautiful pole position—his third in a row. On Sunday he starts poorly again, yet stays in the top three, manages with calm, changes tires when he should, and, despite the car being slightly weaker than the McLaren, brings home his third consecutive victory. Now he is 24 points ahead of the runner-up, Russell. The story is starting to get interesting.

McLaren. In the sprint, they go 1-3 in qualifying and 1-2 in the short race. In qualifying for Sunday’s race, they go fourth and seventh. Strange, unless McLaren pushed harder than the others and these are the true values on the field for this weekend. We wait for Sunday to understand. On Sunday we understood: McLaren went fast this time. Both cars on the podium, with Norris always close to Antonelli, but never close enough to attack. Piastri with the other McLaren takes third, though 25 seconds behind his teammate Norris. Still, Piastri did everything right; he simply wasn't fast enough. Of course, for Piastri, seeing Norris that fast is positive because it means the car is good, but negative because that gap is heavy.

Max Verstappen. If sprint qualifying was good, qualifying for Sunday’s race was beautiful. A second place that appeared out of nowhere: all season, Max hasn't had the pace to stay with the frontrunners, but here in Miami, he woke up and became the good old Max again. On Sunday, however, he starts well, locks up in turn one, spins in turn two, and faces an uphill race. He changes tires before everyone else, does almost 50 laps on the hards, recovers nearly to the podium, only to lose positions at the end due to finished tires, ending in sixth place, later moved to fifth due to Leclerc's broken car. Still, Red Bull is truly improving.

Alpine. If the sprint was a faint ray of sunshine, qualifying for Sunday’s race confirmed that Alpine is strong in Miami. Another top-ten finish with both drivers and great prospects for points. However, Sunday was a bittersweet pill for Alpine. The car went fast on Sunday too, with Colapinto seventh, while Gasly collided with Lawson, flipped over, and ended his race in the very first laps. A shame, because Alpine had the pace to bring both cars into the points. A half-chance wasted.

Sainz and Albon. Sainz and Albon are driving a four-wheeled elephant. So the poor guys do what they can with what they have. Unfortunately, the team completely messed up the design, so this is what both drivers have in their hands. In Miami, Williams brought updates to lighten the car and the first results were seen. Sunday qualifying had two faces: it was positive for Sainz, terrifying for Albon, but it’s a single lap. Let’s see if this trend is confirmed in the race. On Sunday, both Sainz and Albon pulled off a great performance, bringing both Williams into the points (ninth and tenth). The first time both Williams have been in the top ten. Let's hope the positive trend continues.

Flop.

Leclerc. On Saturday, he was on pole for Sunday’s race until Antonelli and Verstappen pulled out a great lap. Leclerc is always a certainty in qualifying. He always does great things and manages to extract everything from the car. The second row, with Ferrari's wonderful start this year, could really make a difference, at least in the first laps of the race, provided he starts well. In the race, he does almost everything right. As usual, the Ferrari starts great, takes the lead, and holds it for the first laps. Then the race pace isn't there and both Norris and Antonelli pass him. The strategy is good; changing tires a bit before the leading duo, he returns to the track in the middle of the pack and climbs back position after position, up to third place. In the final laps, the tires cause problems, Piastri passes him, then on the last lap he spins in turn four, hits the wall, breaks a suspension, and gets passed by both Russell and Verstappen, finishing in P6. A solid race until the last lap. Then he receives a 20-second penalty and drops to eighth place, behind Colapinto.

Russell. Again beaten in qualifying by his teammate. It now seems as though Antonelli always has more in qualifying, taking almost half a second this time. It’s not a great sign, knowing that Antonelli is ahead in the standings and starting from pole, while Russell starts fifth. The fact that you’re driving a Mercedes doesn't automatically mean you’ll pass everyone in front of you. Sunday was lackluster. While Antonelli out front dictated the pace, Russell didn't have that pace, complaining of low grip on the hard tires. He finished fourth because Leclerc hit the wall; otherwise, he would have been fifth. A weekend to analyze and put behind him, looking ahead to Canada.

Audi. A constant in the Flop for their arrogance. They thought they could enter Formula 1 and change it however they liked, and the car is pathetic. Can I say I'm enjoying this? On Sunday, Hulkenberg retires after a few laps and Bortoleto is anonymous in twelfth place. I am happy when Audi fails.

Haas. Reached Q2 in qualifying, though that’s not exactly hard in 2026. If everything goes according to plan, Aston Martin, Cadillac, and Williams will always be knocked out in Q1 (the last three races proved it). Reaching Q2 is the bare minimum this year for a serious Formula 1 team. Sure, from there, with a decent pace, maybe you reach the points, but I find it difficult given Alpine's pace. In fact, the points don't come on Sunday. P11 for Bearman and P13 for Ocon is a disappointing result with an absolutely anonymous race. Which says a lot about Haas's positive start to the season.

Aston Martin and Cadillac. Always slow, albeit for different reasons.

Conclusions.

That was the Miami Grand Prix. You can find all the results here. Next appointment in Canada on May 24th.

M.