F1 2026 Miami Grand Prix: Kimi hits a hat-trick as Ferrari's strategy fails

The 2026 Miami Grand Prix certainly delivered on the chaos front, proving once again that the Hard Rock Stadium circuit is a bit of a shark tank. It was a race of shifting fortunes where some of the grid's biggest names were left wondering what might have been. Andrea Kimi Antonelli is currently the man to beat. The Mercedes prodigy didn't just win; he dominated.

By taking Pole Position, the Race Win and securing the Fastest Lap (the true F1 hat-trick), he has firmly established himself as the championship leader. This marks his third win of the 2026 season (following Australia and China), putting him 20 points clear of his teammate, George Russell.

The start was characteristically messy. The midfield saw several casualties during Lap 1. Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar all suffered terminal damage early on. Nico Hülkenberg also retired later in the race, making it a high-attrition afternoon with four retirements in total. Max Verstappen, too swirled around on the track but quickly recovered without causing any damage.

Max Verstappen had a scrappy weekend by his standards. While he didn't DNF (unlike his retirement in China), Max struggled for pace throughout. He started on the front row in P2, but the Red Bull simply couldn't live with the Mercedes or McLaren pace. He finished P5, nearly 44 seconds adrift of Antonelli. It wasn't a case of Max turning into anyone specifically, but rather the RB22 failing to turn the tide against its rivals.

McLaren fans have plenty to cheer about. The team capitalised on Ferrari’s blunders to take a double podium. Secured P2, putting in a stellar drive to finish just 3.2 seconds behind Antonelli. Followed him home in P3, showing incredible pace after starting P7.

It was a classic afternoon of Ferrari frustration for Charles Leclerc. He started P3 and looked like a solid bet for a podium finish. However, he was pulled in for fresh tyres on Lap 22, a move that he felt was made without his input. He famously snapped over the radio: "Next time you make a decision, please speak to me as well; I am here."

A strategy call that left him vulnerable during the race’s middle phase saw him tumble down the order. On Lap 56, Leclerc was defending P3 from Oscar Piastri. Knowing he lacked straight-line speed, Charles intentionally made it easy for Piastri to overtake him at the end of the lap. His plan was to use the battery boost and DRS on the final lap to retake the position.

The gamble immediately went south, Charles suffered a high-speed spin at Turn 3. After the race, the stewards handed Leclerc a drive-through penalty, which was converted into a 20-second time penalty because the race had already finished. Charles eventually finished in P8, a massive blow to his championship aspirations. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz Jr. managed to salvage some pride for the Scuderia by finishing P9 after starting P13.

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