2026 Miami Grand Prix
Sun, speed, and spectacle returned to South Florida as Formula 1 brought its traveling circus to Miami for the fifth time, lighting up the skies above Hard Rock Stadium for one of the sport's most glamorous stops on the calendar.
The first stars-and-stripes race of the season took place in Miami. Formula 1 observed a lengthy break following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix and resumed its championship campaign on a street circuit in Florida. The Miami Grand Prix is held on a track built specifically for the event around the Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins. The layout, which runs through sections of public roads and the stadium's parking areas, measures 3.362 miles (5.412 kilometers) and is raced over 57 laps.
Of the five editions held so far on the circuit around the Dolphins' stadium, Max Verstappen has won twice, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris also claiming one victory apiece. The two McLaren drivers shared the victories in the last two seasons, after Norris claimed his first Formula 1 win in 2024, it was his teammate who took the checkered flag in 2025.
FRIDAY
On Friday of the Miami Grand Prix weekend, the drivers were thrown straight into the thick of the action with an extended 90-minute free practice session, rather than the usual 60, followed by a fiercely contested Sprint Qualifying, at the end of which Lando Norris emerged as the fastest.
During FP1, the teams focused mainly on the C3 (Hard) compound. In the second half of the session, almost all the drivers switched programs, moving onto the C4 (Medium) or C5 (Soft) and therefore running all the compounds available for the weekend. As it is a Sprint weekend, the teams had to return only one set of tires at the end of the day.
Norris, the reigning World Champion who claimed his first Grand Prix victory here in Miami in 2024, appeared particularly comfortable on the circuit that winds its way around the Hard Rock Stadium. He secured pole position in Sprint Qualifying ahead of Kimi Antonelli, who finished second more than two tenths of a second back. Third place went to Oscar Piastri. The two McLaren drivers therefore lined up in the first two rows for Saturday's Sprint race.
SATURDAY
Norris claimed victory in the Sprint on a circuit where he clearly feels at home. Behind him, teammate Oscar Piastri finished second. Charles Leclerc crossed the line in third place, having managed to put Piastri under pressure, but the Australian did well to keep him behind.
During the Sprint race, temperatures reached around 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius), forcing the drivers to compete in extreme heat conditions.
Kimi Antonelli secured pole position in the Grand Prix qualifying session. The Italian set his best time on the first of his two attempts in Q3. In this session, most drivers did not improve on their second run. One of the few to do so was Max Verstappen, who recorded the second-fastest time overall. With a time of 1:27.798, Antonelli was almost two tenths quicker than Verstappen, who stopped the clocks at 1:27.964. They were the only two drivers to dip below the 1:28 barrier. Leclerc followed just under two tenths behind Verstappen.
Qualifying took place in very hot conditions, with air temperatures around 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) and track temperatures close to 126 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius).
SUNDAY
Kimi Antonelli claimed victory in the Miami Grand Prix, securing his third successive win and stepping onto the top step of the podium ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
The race was brought forward by three hours due to adverse weather forecasts for the originally scheduled start time. From the start, at 1:00 p.m. local time, the cars delivered plenty of action, with overtaking already in the opening laps. In the early stages, incidents involving Isack Hadjar, who hit the wall at Turn 14 and broke his RB22's suspension in the process, and Pierre Gasly, who was hit by Liam Lawson's VCARB and flipped his Alpine, prompted the deployment of the Safety Car. The neutralization was exploited by Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas, who brought forward their pit stops.
The Red Bull driver, after a difficult start, managed to rejoin the fight for the podium by switching from Mediums to a set of Hards on lap six. The Cadillac driver instead opted for Softs on the same lap, before stopping again on lap 21 to move onto Mediums. Isack Hadjar was the only driver to start from the pit lane on Hard tires, while the rest of the grid lined up on Mediums. Only the Aston Martin drivers mirrored Bottas' strategy, choosing Softs at their tire change. With the exception of Bottas, Alonso and Stroll, all the others switched to Hards. Strategies were almost exclusively one-stop, apart from Stroll and Bottas, who made two visits to the pit lane.
Charles Leclerc had a great start and led the field for many laps, but was eventually shuffled back after tussling for position with Antonelli and Norris. He lost further ground after an early pit stop dropped him behind George Russell. In the closing stages, Oscar Piastri also got past him, before Leclerc spun and touched the wall, damaging his Ferrari. The Monegasque nursed the car to the finish line in sixth place, only to be handed a 20-second penalty for repeatedly leaving the track, which dropped him to eighth in the final classification.
In the championship battle, Antonelli extended his advantage over his rivals even further: the nineteen-year-old now leads the standings with 100 points, compared to George Russell's 76.
Excerpts and media courtesy of Pirelli S.p.A. and the official Formula 1 team press offices. All images are provided via Getty Images through the respective team media platforms and are credited to their rightful copyright holders. Used for editorial purposes only. Not for sale.
Result – 2026 Miami Grand Prix – Top Ten
Miami International Autodrome, Miami Gardens
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 4 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 7 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| 8 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 9 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 10 | Alexander Albon | Williams |
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