Oscar Piastri’s championship lead grew at Miami on Sunday with a flawless drive to claim his sixth grand prix win, while title rival and teammate Lando Norris had to settle for second place with Mercedes’ George Russell in third.
With his trademark calm and cool demeanour, the Melburnian outmaneuvered Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to snatch the lead early in the race and set a dominant pace the rest of the grid couldn’t touch.
Miami Grand Prix winner Oscar Piastri Credit: Getty Images
“Got to keep learning, but very happy to be leaving Miami on top,” Piastri said in a post-race interview.
Against the backdrop of uncharacteristically gloomy Miami skies and looming rain, the grand prix opened with lap 1 chaos. Pole-sitter Max Verstappen and Lando Norris went wheel-to-wheel in turn 2, but Norris was squeezed off track and fell into sixth place.
Piastri moved from fourth on the grid into second and stuck to Verstappen like glue, piling on the pressure and waiting for the typically flawless four-time world champion to make a mistake.
Despite Verstappen’s fierce racecraft and defensive driving, Piastri went around the outside on the first corner on lap 14. Verstappen defended but went deep and slid off track, allowing the Australian to soar past and claim the trophy, topping off his post-race celebrations with an inevitably viral griddy dance.
Norris was quizzed by journalists about the early incident with Verstappen and shrugged off suggestions the gap was too narrow.
Miami Grand Prix Credit: Getty Images
“What can I say, if I don’t go for it then people complain, if I do go for it, people complain,” Norris said. “It’s the way it is with Max. It’s crash or don’t pass. Unless you get it really right and put him in the perfect position then you can just about get there.
“I paid the price for not doing a good enough job today, but [I’m] still happy to be second.”
Meanwhile, Williams driver Alex Albon secured a brilliant fifith place while teammate Carls Sainz also finished in the points.
Ferrrai driver Lewis Hamilton – who finished P8 – was uncharacteristically chatty over his team radio, expressing his frustrations after the team delayed the decision to swap positions with teammate Charles Leclerc.
His sarcastic one-liners included telling his engineer to have a tea break and pondering if he should let Williams driver Carlos Sainz through.
It was a woeful day for fellow Aussie Jack Doohan who crashed out in the opening lap after making contact with Liam Lawson. With Alpine reserve drive Franco Colapinto ready in waiting, the rumours around the Australian’s seat security grow louder.
F1 commentator Martin Brundle may have said it best. McLaren are in another postcode. The car’s pace is undeniable, but there is now a healthy 16-point gap between Piastri and Norris.
The F1 community can no doubt expect many McLaren one-two finishes for the rest of the season. A title showdown between the two teammates may be inevitable.