Miami GP Sprint: Lando Norris beats Oscar Piastri to win in chaotic race with Lewis Hamilton third, Max Verstappen demoted

Lando Norris secured victory in a dramatic and unpredictable wet-dry Miami GP Sprint, benefiting from strategic timing and a late Safety Car. His McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, finished in second place. Lewis Hamilton completed the podium in third, while reigning champion Max Verstappen dropped out of the points after receiving a penalty.

The 16-lap Sprint race at the Miami International Autodrome was delayed by 30 minutes following unexpected heavy rain showers. The mixed conditions created a thrilling event from start to finish.

Norris`s win was significantly aided by the timing of a Safety Car deployment on lap 14, caused by a crash involving Fernando Alonso. While Piastri had pitted for dry tyres on lap 14 and was circulating at reduced speed under the Safety Car, Norris was able to pit on the following lap under the same controlled conditions. This timing meant Norris lost less time in the pits than he would have otherwise, allowing him to rejoin the track ahead of Piastri and maintain the lead until the finish, as the race concluded behind the Safety Car.

This victory echoes Norris`s maiden Grand Prix win at the same circuit a year prior, which also involved a fortuitous Safety Car period.

Norris`s win reduces Piastri`s championship lead by one point, making the gap nine points heading into Sunday`s main Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton`s third-place finish was a strong result, achieved partly due to being one of the first drivers to switch to slick tyres. This strategic decision transformed his race performance, lifting him from a challenging sixth position to a podium spot – his second Sprint podium this season after his win in China.

Hamilton commented on his strategy, stating, “It was my call [to pit]. But it was coming from the fact I was struggling so much on the intermediates. I was losing pace and I couldn’t keep up with the guys ahead.”

In contrast, Hamilton`s Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc was unable to start the race. He crashed on his lap to the original grid after encountering heavy rain while on intermediate tyres, aquaplaning into a barrier.

Max Verstappen`s race was marked by misfortune. After a pit stop on lap 13 to switch to slicks, he was unsafely released by the Red Bull team directly into the path of Kimi Antonelli`s oncoming Mercedes. The resulting collision damaged Verstappen`s front wing and forced Antonelli to miss his scheduled stop. Verstappen was later handed a 10-second penalty for the incident. He finished 17th, the last classified driver, marking his first time failing to score points this year.

Discussing the incident, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner called it “a human error. We will learn from it.” Verstappen added, “It was a human error… I’m just happy no one got injured. With these cars if you hit someone, it’s not great. It’s super clear what happened, so there’s not much more for me to add.”

Post-Sprint Penalties Shuffle Points Places

The chaotic nature of the Sprint was further highlighted by post-race penalties issued to three drivers who had initially finished in the points-paying top eight. Because the race ended under Safety Car conditions with the field closely bunched, these penalties significantly impacted the final standings, dropping the penalised drivers out of the points.

Alex Albon, who had finished fourth for Williams, received a five-second penalty for driving too fast behind the Safety Car. As a result, George Russell of Mercedes and Lance Stroll of Aston Martin each moved up one position, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls was also penalised five seconds for making contact with Fernando Alonso, causing the crash that triggered the Safety Car. This penalty cost Lawson what would have been seventh place. Oliver Bearman, who had climbed impressively from 19th to eighth, lost his points position after receiving a five-second penalty for an unsafe release by his Haas team during a pit stop.

Following the penalties, Kimi Antonelli was classified seventh, and Pierre Gasly of Alpine took the final point in eighth place.

Piastri Reflects on Missed Opportunity

For much of the Sprint, it seemed Oscar Piastri was poised to extend his championship lead, having taken the lead from polesitter Kimi Antonelli at the start with a strong move reminiscent of his recent battle with Max Verstappen in Saudi Arabia. Piastri`s initial advantage grew to around two seconds over Norris on intermediate tyres.

However, as the track dried in the closing laps, Norris began closing the gap. McLaren opted to pit Piastri first on lap 14, being their lead car. But the subsequent Safety Car for Alonso`s crash immediately on the next lap negated Piastri`s advantage, effectively handing the strategic benefit to Norris who pitted under the controlled conditions.

“I don’t think I will be buying any lottery tickets at this place!” a frustrated Piastri remarked over team radio after the race. In his post-Sprint interview, he added, “I did pretty much everything right. A bit disappointed to come away with second but that’s how it goes sometimes. Racing is a pretty cruel business. Hopefully that means I get a bit of luck this afternoon in qualifying and tomorrow.”

Lando Norris, on the other hand, was pleased with his fortune in Miami. “My luck in Miami seems pretty good at the minute, so I’m happy,” he commented. “It’s worked two years in a row. I probably would prefer if this happened tomorrow rather than today, but I’ll take it. I’m happy. Good job by the team. It was good fun.”

Verstappen`s Costly Points Loss

Max Verstappen was running third behind the McLarens before his ill-fated pit stop on lap 13 to switch to slicks. The unsafe release and subsequent collision with Antonelli resulted in the 10-second penalty, dropping him from his on-track fourth place finish down to 17th.

Verstappen`s loss of five points for what would have been fourth place means he now trails Piastri by 19 points in the standings ahead of the main Grand Prix on Sunday.

Miami GP Sprint Revised Result (Top 8)

• 1) Lando Norris, McLaren
• 2) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
• 3) Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
• 4) George Russell, Mercedes
• 5) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
• 6) Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull
• 7) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
• 8) Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Miami GP Sprint Full Result