No matter how strong Red Bull and Max Verstappen were in a lap, common sense ultimately prevailed in Miami, and McLaren with Oscar Piastri behind the wheel took a smooth race victory.
Max Verstappen got off to a good start, but Lando Norris perhaps even better: this did not help the McLaren driver much, as Verstappen aggressively pushed him off the track, causing him to drop several positions. Kimi Antonelli thanked him for that, as he was now in second place. This did not last long, as after a brief virtual safety car phase, Oscar Piastri quickly jumped ahead of the Italian. Meanwhile, McLaren showed very good pace, with Norris continuously closing in, and Piastri putting pressure on Verstappen. The battle between the top two was most beneficial for Norris, who, driving the fastest laps, was already in third place and posed a real threat to the Verstappen-Piastri duo. Piastri put serious pressure on Verstappen and eventually forced him into a mistake after several laps of chasing, taking the lead.
There was so much movement at the front that the competition practically boiled down to three drivers: while Verstappen defended against Norris, Piastri built a significant lead at the front. Eventually, after a fierce battle, Norris managed to get past Verstappen, who had to start watching the incoming Mercedes behind him. Soon we reached the pit stops, followed by another VSC phase, which caused Verstappen to lose his third position, inherited by George Russell. Outside the top 3, it was not an exceptionally eventful race, but the battle between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz stirred our blood. Williams and Alexander Albon also ran at a serious pace, with the blue car trailing just behind the leading pack.
In the remaining laps, this did not change, so in a tight but not overly exciting race, Oscar Piastri secured a measured victory ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell, taking the lead in the championship points standings as well.
Photo: Eurosport / Total Motorsport
