Formula 1 returned from an unexpected five-week break at the Miami Grand Prix, where a flurry of upgrade packages reshaped the 2026 championship picture.
McLaren, which has mastered correlating upgrade performance from simulation to the track, arrived in Miami with a strong package. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the front row in sprint qualifying, then drove to an uneventful 1-2 finish in the sprint race. Ferrari and Red Bull also brought meaningful improvements, turning what looked like a Mercedes runaway season into a four-team fight.
The temporary circuit around Hard Rock Stadium showcased revised hybrid energy rules, which allowed drivers to regenerate more energy under braking. The changes addressed the "yo-yo" racing criticism from the first three rounds and reduced energy management as a talking point in qualifying.
Sunday's main event saw 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli secure his third consecutive pole position for Mercedes. Charles Leclerc used Ferrari's small-turbo power unit to launch into the lead at the start, but Antonelli, Norris, and a charging Max Verstappen turned the race into a strategic battle. Verstappen spun at turn three but recovered to lead briefly before older tires dropped him to sixth.
Antonelli held off Norris for 57 laps to take the win. Piastri passed Leclerc on the final lap for third, then Leclerc spun and hit the wall. Antonelli became the first driver in F1's 76-year history to convert three straight poles into three straight wins. He leads the championship by 20 points over teammate George Russell.
Williams showed signs of recovery from a difficult start to the season, placing both cars in the points. Cadillac and Aston Martin also finished both cars. Ferrari had a weekend to forget, with Lewis Hamilton driving a damaged car and Leclerc's late-race mistake costing valuable positions.