F1 Miami Grand Prix Race Review
Matt Hylen- May 8
- 12 min read
After an eventful weekend, to say the least, the Miami Grand Prix is done and dusted. From a rainy sprint to life-size Lego car racing to a McLaren-dominant main race, we saw just about everything this past weekend. I also went 4 for 10 on my bold predictions, which is not too bad all things considered.
As a reminder, this weekend's race was a Sprint-style format. A Sprint race is a race with fewer laps that gives the drivers an opportunity to score some extra points. It is meant to not only help the drivers, but also give the fans more racing action. Instead of the normal weekend format (three practice sessions, qualifying, and the race), a sprint weekend format is a little different. There will be only one practice session, and two qualifying sessions (one for the sprint race and one for the main race). The sprint race occurs between the sprint qualifying session and the main race qualifying session.
Now, before we get into my review, and some breaking news here is a look at how both Championships are shaping out, and a reminder on how they work:
Formula One has two main championship competitions. The first is the Drivers' Championship, which is a competition between the drivers' individual performance. On a non-Sprint style weekend, the drivers who finish in the top 10 in each race will score points (the higher you place, the more points you get). These points are added up, and whichever driver finishes with the most points at the end of the season will win the Drivers' Championship.
The next is the Constructors' Championship, a competition between the teams. The number of points the drivers within a team get each race is combined, creating the total points for the team (e.g., Lando Norris has scored 115 points, and Oscar Piastri has scored 131 points, giving the McLaren team 246 points in the Constructors' Championship). The team whose drivers accumulate the most points combined for their team will win the Constructors' Championship.
Now here is a look at the standings for both Championships:
Drivers' Championship Standings:
Oscar Piastri 131 points
Lando Norris 115 points
Max Verstappen 99 points
George Russell 93 points
Charles Leclerc 53 points
Andrea Kimi Antonellii 48 points
Lewis Hamilton 41 points
Alexander Albon 30 points
Esteban Ocon 14 points
Lance Stroll 14 points
Yuki Tsunoda 9 points
Pierre Gasly 7 points
Carlos Sainz 7 points
Nico Hulkenberg 6 points
Oliver Bearman 6 points
Isak Hadjar 5 points
Fernando Alonso 0 points
Liam Lawson 0 points
Jack Doohan 0 points
Gabriel Bortoletto 0 points
Constructors' Championship Standings:
McLaren 246 points
Mercedes 141 points
Red Bull 105 points
Ferrari 94 points
Williams 37 points
Haas 20 points
Aston Martin 14 points
Racing Bulls 8 points
Alpine 7 points
Kick Sauber 6 points
Standings were found at F1.com.
Alpine
If it wasnt the flood of penalties that occured in the Spprint, my prediction would have been correct, but Alpine managed to come away with a point. For the Sprint, Jack Doohan qualified 17th and finished 16th, while Pierre Gasly qualified 13th and finished 8th. For the Grand Prix, Doohan qualified 14th and did not finish the race, while Gasly qualified 18th and finished 13th.
The biggest takeaway from the weekend is the response the team had to yet another underwhelming result. To start off, Alpine's Team Principal Ollie Oakes resigned with immediate effect on May 7th. The controversial Senior Advisor and former Team Principal Flavio Briatore will be taking over Oakes' duties. Soon after this news came out, it was also announced that former Williams driver and current Alpine reserve driver Franco Colapinto will be replacing Jack Doohan starting in Imola (the next race weekend).
This will be Alpine's 7th Team Principal since 2020. Yes, you heard me correctly, this will be the seventh different Team Principal Alpine has had in just 5 seasons. Not only that, but they are putting in arguably the most controversial figure in F1 history to replace Oakes in Briatore. Alpine have been in shambles, and I think this move proves no different. Sure, Briatore has had success in the past as a Team Principal, however for someone who just had a lifetime ban lifted due to being found guilty of intentionally ordering one of his drivers to crash to help his teammate, it makes the move a heck of a lot more interesting. Alpine needs consistency above all else, especially among its staff, and putting yet another person in there, with past success or not, just does not make sense to me.
As for the other piece of news, I understand why they made this change. Colapinto shocked everyone last year with his immediate pace and solid results with Williams. Some believed he deserved a seat after last season, myself included. So it makes sense that Alpine, considering Colapinto's performance last season and Doohan's lack of performance this season, for the team to test Colapinto with the main team. It will be a 5-race trial for Franco, so the seat is not permanent just yet, but he will have a good chance to show Alpine that he belongs. Though I do feel like Doohan was not given a proper chance, it is hard to keep a seat, rookie or not, when you have not come close to the performance of your teammate.
Overall, Miami served as the last domino to fall in Alpine's panic. Time will tell how this response fares in the long-term, but the changes are drastic nonetheless.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin got extremely lucky to have come away with points this weekend, for their car was extremely poor all-around. For the Sprint, Lance Stroll qualified 16th and finished 5th, while Fernando Alonso qualified 10th but did not finish the race. For the Grand Prix, Stroll qualified 19th and finished 16th (last due to DNFs), while Alonso qualified 17th and finished 15th.
This was one of the predictions I gave myself, even with the Sprint result. It would have been double points for Aston Martin in the Sprint as well if it wasn't for VCARB's Liam Lawson crashing into Alonso. In my opinion, a lot went Aston Martin's way in the Sprint, which is why they were able to scrape away with some points.
The Grand Prix, however, exposed the true pace of the car: slow. In both qualifying and the race, Alonso and Stroll struggled mightily, and were unable to compete with the cars in front. They accounted for two of the three total cars to be lapped during the Grand Prix, and finished quite a ways away from the cars ahead. Of course, this is now to be expected of Aston Martin, but that does not mean that this season has been anything less than a disaster.
Ferrari
Was it pure luck that my bold prediction for Ferrari came to fruition? Absolutely, but I will absolutely take it. With that said, Ferrari had an extremely challenging weekend as a whole that may have exposed some significant frustration within the team. For the Sprint, Charles Leclerc qualified 6th but did not start the race (crashed on his way to the grid), while Lewis Hamilton qualified 7th and finished 3rd. For the Grand Prix, Leclerc qualified 8th and finished 7th, while Hamilton qualified 12th and finished 8th.
During the Sprint, Hamilton's gamble to pit for slick tires earlier than the rest of the grid paid off, as he gained significant time on the rest, pushing himself up the order. A Virtual Safety Car then solidified Hamilton's podium finish.
The Grand Prix was a brutal one for Ferrari. From a severe lack of pace in qualifying to not being able to keep up with both Williams drivers for a majority of the race, frustration was building all race long. Lap 39 is when things went from bad to worse for Ferrari. The team should have ordered the swap much sooner than they did, and as a result, they could not catch up to Kimi Antonelli.
This lack of decision-making also exposed Hamilton's true frustration with the team. His pace is nowhere near the top teams, he and his race engineer have worked horribly together and have not been on the same page, and Ferrari seems to be the 5th best car at the moment.
There is still plenty of time to turn it around, but if Ferrari keeps showing that they have no chance of catching up to McLaren, Mercedes, and Verstappen's Red Bull, you have to start questioning when the time is that you shift your focus onto the 2026 car.
Haas
I was halfway there in terms of my predictions for Haas, but another poor qualifying weekend resulted in a disappointing weekend in Miami. For the Sprint, Esteban Ocon qualified and finished 12th, while Ollie Bearman qualified 20th and finished 14th. For the Grand Prix, Ocon qualified 9th and finished 12th, while Bearman qualified 20th and did not finish the race due to an engine issue.
It was a tale of two completely different results once again for Haas. This time, Ocon was the one who had a decent weekend, reaching Q3 in the main race qualifying and competing near the points. It has been a very inconsistent start to the year for Ocon, yet seeing the ability of Ocon to bounce back after poor weekends is promising going forward.
Bearman, however, put together an extremely concerning performance. Finishing last in both qualifying sessions is not a good look, regardless of whether or not the car's qualifying pace is good. Haas may be bad in qualifying, but this is far too many times that Bearman has ruined his chance for a decent result because he finished last in qualifying.
Bearman needs to find a middle ground between his stellar qualifying performances and last place finishes, and fast, or else the concern will only get larger. With that said, consistency has been poor from both drivers; Ocon has had the same problem as Bearman in qualifying.
Kick Sauber
Surprisingly enough, my prediction regarding Kick Sauber came true, with the team capping off a decent weekend in Miami. For the Sprint, Gabriel Bortoletto qualified 19th and finished 15th, while Nico Hulkenberg qualified 11th and finished 9th. For the Grand Prix, Bortoletto qualified 13th and did not finish the race due to an engine failure, while Hulkenberg qualified 16th and finished 14th.
Kick Sauber took advantage of the chaos that ensued with the other teams and was able to put together a decent result on paper. Points were never truly on the table for the team, and a lot would have to happen for it to be again this season, but a couple of Q2 appearances is a step in the right direction. Though Hulkenberg got lapped and Bortoletto DNF'd again, you will absolutely take the fact that Hulkenberg finished ahead of both Aston Martin drivers.
McLaren
Though Lando Norris did not take the Drivers' Championship lead back, McLaren absolutely dominated all weekend long. For the Sprint, Lando Norris qualified 3rd and finished 1st, while Oscar Piastri qualified and finished 2nd. For the Grand Prix, Norris qualified and finished 2nd, while Oscar Piastri qualified 4th and won the race.
Not only did McLaren keep the streak of a non-pole sitter winning in Miami going, they did so in dominant fashion. Piastri finished 4.63 seconds ahead of Norris, who finished 33.014 seconds ahead of the third place car in George Russell. We have not seen this kind of domination since Red Bull back in 2023. This was a statement weekend for McLaren, showing that there is no car even close to the level of pace they have.
I think it is also time to consider Oscar Piastri as the favorite to win the Drivers' Championship. Of course, anything can happen in F1, but Piastri is on another planet right now. He's young, he's quick, and most importantly, he is not afraid to take on Max Verstappen wheel-to-wheel. That kind of calculated fearlessness is what, in my eyes, puts Piastri above Norris right now and what is taking him to that championship-caliber level. Oscar is legit, and it is time we regard him as such.
Mercedes
Though a lot was left on the table, Mercedes ended the weekend with a lot to be happy about, and some good points in the process. For the Sprint, George Russell qualified 5th and finished 4th, while Kimi Antonelli qualified 1st and finished 7th. For the Grand Prix, Russell qualified 5th and finished 3rd, while Antonelli qualified 3rd and finished 6th.
First off, what a weekend for Kimi Antonelli! With his brilliant performance in Sprint Qualifying, Antonelli became the youngest driver in F1 history to secure a pole position. He then followed up with a 2nd row start for the Grand Prix. He looked faster than Russell all weekend long, which no one expected, and made the statement that his potential is real.
With that said, I do believe his inexperience got the better of him at times. He lost three positions in the Sprint on the first couple of corners, causing him to move down to 4th. Of course, what happened in the pit lane with Max Verstappen was not his fault, but you could not help but feel like things could have been different if Kimi had a little more experience under his belt.
On the other hand, George Russell, who had his most challenging weekend of the season in terms of getting a read on his car, somehow produced another podium in Miami. Mr. Consistency dealt with the issues head-on, taking full advantage of his opportunities when they presented themselves.
Overall, a lot to be happy about if you're Mercedes, as you proved once again that the car, and both drivers, are among the best in the sport.
Racing Bulls
VCARB were right there again this weekend, however, clumsy mistakes cost them all weekend long. For the Sprint, Liam Lawson qualified 14th and finished 13th, while Isak Hadjar qualified 9th and finished 10th. For the Grand Prix, Lawson qualified 15th and did not finish the race after damaging his floor in the first corner of the race, while Hadjar qualified and finished 11th.
VCARB pretty much met the expectations in terms of pace but failed to put together the result they were hoping for. Hadjar kept his car on track but drove far from a clean race, while Lawson's aggressiveness got the better of him again in Miami.
The bigger issue is that Williams seemed to have pulled away drastically from VCARB in terms of car performance. Though the Constructors' Standings don't truly reflect how close the two teams have been this season, Williams has been VCARB's main rival thus far. Yes, the team is still behind Haas and Aston Martin in the standings, but they shouldn't be. VCARB needs to clean up their mistakes and start scoring points if they want to compete in the midfield.
Red Bull
Some bad mistakes and poor luck unfortunately were the story of the weekend for Red Bull this weekend in Miami. For the Sprint, Yuki Tsunoda qualified 18th (started from the pit lane) and finished 6th, while Max Verstappen qualified 4th and finished 17th after receiving a 10-second penalty for an unsafe pit lane release. For the Grand Prix, Tsunoda qualified and finished in 10th, whereas Verstappen qualified 1st and finished 4th.
From start to finish, it just wasn't Red Bull's weekend. First off, what happened during the Sprint was unacceptable. Letting Max go at the point they did was a mistake that cost them dearly and ruined his and Antonelli's race. How they did not see Antonelli coming, I am not sure, but it was a complete lapse in judgment from the pit crew.
Other than that, Red Bull just did not have the pace this weekend. McLaren and Mercedes clearly looked better than both Red Bull drivers this weekend. Even a pole position by Max couldn't save them this weekend. I think that, going forward, we will see a lot of results like this. Max will do all he can, and sometimes it will pay off, but I think it won't for the most part. I also think Miami showed that the results Yuki is putting together is just where that car is at in terms of performance. Overall, disappointing weekend for Red Bull, who seem miles off of having a championship-level car.
Williams
Williams looked absolutely phenomenal all weekend long in Miami, and accounted for one of the correct predictions. For the Sprint, Carlos Sainz qualified 15th and did not finish the race after colliding with the wall, while Alex Albon qualified 8th and finished 11th. For the Grand Prix, Sainz qualified 6th and finished 9th, while Albon qualified 7th and finished 4th.
The Sprint was a little brutal for Williams. Sainz made a bad mistake that ruined his race, while Albon was on for a 4th place finish until a penalty (speeding under a Safety Car) ruined his chance at points. Though the speeding was so the car behind Albon wouldn't crash into the back of him, it was still an unfortunate situation that resulted in no points for Williams.
The Grand Prix, however, was amazing for both drivers. Through qualifying and the race, Williams looked extremely quick, to the point where they out-paced Ferrari. Albon was absolutely incredible, holding a P5 position for a majority of the race. Sainz was arguably just as quick, but was a victim of having two Ferraris ahead of him. He tried a last corner pass on the last lap, which was extremely bold, but failed to work. What is promising for Sainz is that he looks comfortable with the car, with his pace matching Albon in both qualifying and in the race. Williams have a lot to be proud about after legitimately looking like the 4th best car on the grid.
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Until next time!
-Matt Hylen
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