Oscar Piastri wins third consecutive race with stunning drive at the Miami Grand Prix

Australia’s young superstar Oscar Piastri is looking every bit the world champion after becoming the first McLaren driver since 1998 to win three races in a row and cruising to victory at the Miami Grand Prix.

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Oscar Piastri is determined to avoid thinking about the Formula One world championship. Here’s the challenge for the introverted young fellow. It takes a lot of thinking to avoid thinking about the things that are so important they keep returning to your thoughts.

The Miami Grand Prix had Evander Holyfield in the paddock at Hard Rock Stadium, wearing a square jaw and uber-cool Ray Ban sunglasses, and how fortunate Holyfield was to win heavyweight world boxing titles over 12 rounds in one brightly lit night. Piastri has F1’s ultimate prize at his fingertips but must sleep on the tantalising prospect every evening between now and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in December. Spare a thought for the unavoidable, building, long-term mental strain creeping into his system whether he likes it or not.

Piastri’s victory in Miami was exquisite. Starting fourth on the grid, he tiptoed to an early lead, if it’s possible to tiptoe at 355km/h, before romping to the chequered flag from McLaren teammate Lando Norris and Mercedes driver George Russell. He was consummately cool, calm and calculating. It was the perfect drive.

“Nicely done,” he said.

Hitting the griddy! 🕺

A fine celebration by @OscarPiastri 😅#F1 #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/bFCb6evuQL

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 4, 2025

Turn one was on for young and old, elbows out, and Piastri kept his nose beautifully clean, sliding through to third as Verstappen and Norris made contact. Norris was shunted back to sixth in a dream scenario for Piastri. All the Melburnian needs to think about is beating Norris this year. If he does it often enough, race-by-race, even just by one place, you would think he will be world champ.

Piastri started by swerving past Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes like James Tedesco on the burst. He was up to second with 53 of the 57 laps to go. Only Red Bull’s gung-ho Max Verstappen, arguably the greatest driver in history, at least on a par with Lewis Hamilton, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, was in his way, grunting and groaning in his effort to hold Piastri at bay.

Piastri overtakes Verstappen for the race lead early in the grand prix. Picture: Chandan Khanna/AFP

The Melburnian was so close to Verstappen’s rear he might have started beeping his horn. It was brilliant, thrilling, heart-in-mouth racing. Piastri swinging left, swinging right, looking here, peeping there, achingly close to overtaking. “Make him work for it,” Verstappen was told by his Red Bull garage before Piastri ducked inside the four-time world champion on lap 14, dancing to the lead and shouting yippee, flying towards his third straight F1 victory and fourth of a highly promising year.

Piastri stands at the top of the podium flanked by two Brits, McLaren teammate Lando Norris (left) and George Russell, of Mercedes. Picture: Hector Vivas/Getty Images

Verstappen, the only other serious contender to the two McLaren drivers for the world title this season, finished fourth after starting on pole.

The Red Bull remains third in the standings on 99 points, but is now 32 points behind Piastri.

Russell finished third for his fourth podium of the season after passing Verstappen when he pitted during a virtual safety car. The British Mercedes driver is fourth overall.

McLaren’s lead in the constructors’ championship is a staggering 105 points. The papaya team ended a 26-year drought when they won it last year and already look like a lock to go back-to-back in 2025

Just 24 and in his third season in F1, Piastri has emerged as the clear favourite for this year’s title.

Only two Australians – Jack Brabham (in 1959, 1960 and 1966) and Alan Jones (in 1980) – have won the biggest prize in motorsport, but Piastri is on track to join them.

After being caught out by Melbourne’s fickle weather in the season-opening grand prix in Austraila, the Piastri won the second round in China and has won the past three in a row – in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Miami.

The last Australian to win three grands prix in succession was Jones in 1979. And the last Aussie to win four races in a season was Mark Webber in 2010.

With a quarter of the 24 races this season complete, the championship moves to Europe, with the next race at Imola in northern Italy in a fortnight.