Piastri successfully overtook Norris by 4.630 seconds at the Miami Grand Prix, marking his fourth win of the season and completing a hat-trick following victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. This double podium finish marked McLaren’s 51st 1-2 finish in their history. Russell managed to beat Verstappen to secure third place, maintaining his streak of finishing in the top five in every race this season.
This event served as round six of F1’s 2025 season，marking beginning European-American leg。In pre-race qualifying sessions，Verstappen narrowly claimed pole position beating Norris by just 0 .065 seconds；Antonelli secured third spot while Piastri started from fourth。Pre-race strategies suggested starting on C3 medium tires then switching onto C4 hard ones aiming single stop strategy。Interestingly eight out ten teams prepared two sets new medium tires per driver anticipating potential safety cars or red flags。
Race commenced with fierce battle between Verstappen & Norris heading into Turn One (T1)。Norris attempted outside pass Turn Two (T2) but forced off track dropping him sixth；meanwhile Antonelli，Russell & Piastri each gained position respectively。Early stages saw collision between Doohan & Lawson Turn One resulting punctured front left tire forcing Doohan retire whilst virtual safety car (VSC) deployed；Lawson spun yet continued from last position without further FIA action。
As VSC ended Lap Three (L3)，Verstappen quickly built one-second lead；Piastri overtook Antonelli next lap moving into third。Norris soon passed both Sainz & Russell climbing fourth then regaining third via inside pass Turn Eleven (T11) Lap Nine (L9)。
Piastri initiated several attacks Turn Eleven attempting overtake Verstappen unsuccessfully initially falling behind due route issues plus error Turn One widening gap till point-eight seconds；Norris closely tailed gradually closing gap leaders until Lap Fourteen (L14) where utilizing DRS main straight succeeded late braking maneuver reclaiming lead Turn One followed shortly thereafter by Norris inside passing Verstappen Turn Eleven securing second position。
As the race reached its twentieth lap, the designated pit window officially opened, signaling the strategic phase where teams could opt to change tires. Despite this crucial point being reached, the front-running contenders and their respective teams elected to remain out on the circuit, preferring to continue observing the evolving track conditions, assessing their current tire wear levels, and evaluating potential strategic responses from rivals before committing to a stop. This period became a tense observational phase across the leading garages.
The first significant strategic move among the front pack came on Lap Twenty-Six when Antonelli made their scheduled pit stop. They switched to the durable hard compound tires, a clear attempt at executing an undercut maneuver on the car ahead. An undercut strategy relies on pitting earlier for fresh, faster tires to set quick lap times and leapfrog the competitor when they eventually pit. However, the defending driver, Verstappen, responded swiftly to this challenge, entering the pit lane just one lap later, on Lap Twenty-Seven. This rapid reaction allowed Verstappen to successfully counter Antonelli’s attempt and effectively maintain their crucial leading position as they rejoined the circuit, demonstrating their team’s strategic alertness.
By Lap Twenty-Eight, the race order had begun to settle following the initial wave of pit stops from other competitors further down the field. At this stage, Piastri held a substantial advantage at the front, leading their teammate, Norris, by a margin of eight-point-six seconds. This gap suggested either differing tire strategies playing out or a significant pace differential between the two cars. Meanwhile, the sequence of pit stops undertaken by other drivers had allowed Russell to significantly improve their track position, elevating them into a provisional third place as the race approached its midway point.
The dynamics of the event were dramatically altered near the midpoint when the car driven by Bearman unfortunately suffered an engine failure, forcing retirement from the competition. This incident necessitated the immediate deployment of a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) period. Under VSC conditions, drivers are required to reduce their speed to a set delta time, effectively neutralizing the race while marshals can safely attend to the stricken vehicle.
The VSC period presented a golden opportunity for many teams to make a strategically advantageous “cheap” pit stop, losing less time compared to stopping under full green flag racing conditions. Recognizing this, several key drivers and their teams immediately dived into the pit lane. Piastri, Norris, Hamilton, and Russell were among those who seized this chance to swap their tires under the reduced speed of the VSC. Their respective pit crews executed rapid tire changes, aiming to maximize the benefit of the neutralization. As the VSC period concluded and normal racing resumed, the order initially reflected the outcomes of these strategic stops. However, the advantage gained by pitting under the VSC, coupled with strong pace upon resuming, allowed Russell to immediately challenge the car ahead. Capitalizing on this moment, Russell skillfully executed a decisive overtake on Verstappen shortly after the restart, successfully gaining track position and securing the third position in the running order, further solidifying their improved standing after the critical VSC phase and the subsequent on-track battle.
Final fifteen laps witnessed steady lead maintained by Piastri whilst Norris held second despite narrowing gaps between Russell & chasing pressured Verstappen；Ferrari’s Hamilton swapped positions Leclerc yet failed close front runners gaps until Lap Thirty-Nine (L39) deciding another swap enabling Leclerc chase down successfully overtaking Antonelli Lap Fifty-Three (L53)。
Ultimately，Piastri clinched Miami Grand Prix victory crossing finish line first margin four-point-six-three-zero seconds followed closely by teammate Norris adding another medal McLaren’s tally；Russell secured podium finishing third ahead Verstappen fourth places respectively whilst Albon、Antonelli、Leclerc、Hamilton、Sainz & Tsunoda rounded scoring points