Race Notes - Antonelli takes third win in a row

Kimi Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix in his Mercedes GP, winning by 3.264 seconds over Lando Norris in his McLaren-Mercedes in second place. Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren took third place, 27.092 seconds behind the winner.

Antonelli took his third win in a row, and seventh podium finish of his career.

Antonelli extends his lead in the Drivers’ Championship extending his lead over Russell to 20 points, ahead of Leclerc, Norris, Hamilton, Piastri and Verstappen.

Mercedes GP leads the Constructors’ Championship over Ferrar, McLaren, Red Bull, Alpine, Haas, Racing Bulls, Williams, Audi, Cadillac, and Aston Martin.

George Russell (43.051) in the second Mercedes finished fourth, followed by Max Verstappen (43.949s) in the Red Bull-Ford in fifth, Charles Leclerc (44.245s) in the Ferrari in sixth, his team mate Lewis Hamilton (53.753s) in seventh, Franco Colapinto (1m01.871s) matching his best finish in the Alpine-Mercedes in eighth, Carlos Sainz (1m22.072s) in the Williams-Mercedes in ninth, and his team mate Alex Albon (1m30.972s) taking the final point in tenth place.

Before the start with it warm, but rain expected, Antonelli on pole with Verstappen alongside on row 1, Charles Leclerc and Norris on row 2, Russell and Hamilton on row 3, Piastri and Colapinto on row 4, and Gasly and Hulkenberg rounding out the top ten.

With the start pushed forward by three hours to avoid lightning storms to 1p local time, the drivers came around on the formation lap and lined up on the grid. The lights went out and the race began with Antonelli getting a slow start, Leclerc goes into the lead, Verstappen spins in the second corner but continues.

Hamilton and Colapinto make contact.

After 1 lap Leclerc leads Antonelli, Norris, Piastri, Russell, Hamilton, Colapinto Verstappen, Liam Lawson, and Albon tenth.

Isack Hadjar pits and changes his front wing.

On lap 3 Russell passes Piastri for fourth.

On lap 4 Antonelli is battling with Leclerc and overtakes him for the lead into the first corner.

On lap 5 Leclerc retakes the lead, Norris then passes Antonelli for second.

Hadjar crashes into the wall. The Safety Car is out. Pierre Gasly has crashed at the final corner, having launced and rolled over the front tyre of Lawson.

Some teams are calling for showers in 15 minutes, Verstappen pits for hard tyres, Valtteri Bottas pits for soft tyres.

Leclerc leads Norris, Antonelli, Russell, Piastri, Hamilton, Colapinto, Albon, Sainz and Oliver Bearman in tenth.

On lap 11 the Safety Car is in and the race restarts.

Piastri passes Russell for fourth.

On lap 12 Norris sets fast lap at 1m32.556s.

On lap 13 Norris passes Leclerc for the lead.

Later in the lap Antonelli passes Leclerc for second, but Leclerc comes right back and retakes second.

On lap 14 Antonelli again passes Leclerc for second.

At lap 15 Norris leads Antonelli by 1.8 seconds, followed by Leclerc (3.3s), Piastri (4.2s), Russell (5.4s), Hamilton (6.9s), Colapinto (9.7s), Sainz (12.7s), Verstappen (14.1s), and Albon (15.5s) in tenth.

On lap 17 Piastri battling with Leclerc, but the Ferrari stays ahead in third.

Verstappen passes Sainz for eighth.

On lap 19 the sky is darkening.

On lap 21 Verstappen passes Colapinto for seventh. Russell pits for hard tyres and rejoins 12th.

On lap 22 Leclerc pits from third for hard tyres and rejoins 12th behind Russell.

Russell then Leclerc pass Ocon for tenth and eleventh.

On lap 23 Russell passes Bearman for ninth. Leclerc passes him for tenth.

On lap 24 Russell then Leclerc pass Albon for eighth and ninth.

At lap 25 Norris leads Antonelli by 2.1 seconds, followed by Piastri (12.5s), Hamilton (16.6s), Verstappen (17.9s)

On lap 26 Antonelli pits from second place for hard tyes and rejoins fifth.

Verstappen passes Hamilton for fourth.

On lap 27 Norris pits from the lead for hard tyres and rejoins fourt, as Antonelli gets ahead.

Hamilton pits.

On lap 28 Piastri pits and he rejoins in seventh ahead of Hamilton.

On lap 29 Antonelli passes Verstappen for the lead. Later in the lap Norris passes Verstappen for second.

On lap 30 Piastri sets fast lap at 1m31.949s.

On lap 31 Leclerc passes Russell passes for fifth.

Colapinto pits and rejoins eighth.

The sky looks a bit brighter, and the rain has not materialized.

Antonelli is complaining about his gearbox..

On lap 35 Piastri passes Russell for fifth, then Russell respasses.

Norris is closing on Antonelli.

Antonelli is complaining about his rear tyre grip. Norris closes to less than a second behind.

At lap 40 Antonelli leads Norris by 0.9 seconds, followed by Verstappen (13.1s), Leclerc (18.5s), Piastri (22.7s), Russell (25.4s), Hamilton (31.1s), Colapinto (41.9s), Sainz (53.1s), and Albon (59.0s) in tenth.

On lap 45 Antonelli gets out to a two second lead. Leclerc closes to half a second behind Verstappen in third.

Antonelli is told to watch track limits.

On lap 47 Leclerc passes Verstappen, but retakes.

Half a lap later Leclerc passes Verstappen for third.

On lap 48 Piastri passes Verstappen on his older tyres for fourth, with less that ten laps left.

At lap 50 Antonelli leads Norris by 2.0 seconds, followed by Leclerc (23.9s), Piastri (26.3s), Verstappen (29.9s), Russell (33.8s), Hamilton (41.5s), Colapinto (56.4s), Sainz (1m11.9s), Albon (1m20.3s) in tenth place.

On lap 53 Fernando Alonso passes Sergio Perez for 15th.

On lap 55 Verstappen a

Russell are battling for fifth, Leclerc and Piastri are battling for third.

On lap 56 Piastri passes Leclerc for third. Leclerc spins and taps the wall, then continues running slowly.

Russell passes Verstappen, and both get past Leclerc before the flag.

Antonelli takes the checkered flag, ahead of Norris and Piastri.