The 2026 Formula One (F1) weekend was one of the most eventful of the season so far. It was the first race after regulation tweaks, and Kimi Antonelli extended his championship lead by claiming victory. McLaren also made a comeback with a sprint win and a double podium in the feature race.
Some of the highlights from the race weekend are covered in the Sports Side’s “Biggest Hits and Misses” format.
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Hit: Kimi Antonelli claims third consecutive victory
Kimi Antonelli’s dominance continued for the third consecutive race weekend as he won the Miami GP from pole position. Antonelli also increased the points buffer between himself and George Russell to 20 points.
The Italian struggled in the earlier parts of the weekend, including sprint qualifying and the sprint race. He began getting into the groove during qualifying for the main race. The 19-year-old’s pole lap was sensational; he was one of only two drivers, along with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, to break into the 1m27s bracket, and was some four-tenths quicker than teammate Russell.
Despite his great form, Antonelli still struggled at the race start, running wide in a chaotic opening lap and letting Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen pass him. Among all his wins, this one came under the most pressure as he was engaged in multiple wheel-to-wheel battles. Throughout the race, he maintained a close contest with Lando Norris.
“This is just the beginning; the road is still long,” said Antonelli after the race. “But we’re working super hard, the team is doing an incredible job, and without them, I wouldn’t be here. So it’s mainly thanks to them and my family. I’m going to enjoy this one and then get back to work,” he added.
Miss: Charles Leclerc missed the podium
Just like in previous races, Charles Leclerc got a good start and led the race on the very first lap. He held P4 and chased Piastri in P3 for most of the race. Things took a dramatic twist when, while chasing Piastri for the podium on the last lap, he spun and hit the wall at Turn 3.
Despite the damage to his car, Leclerc finished the race in P6. After the incident, he repeatedly cut chicanes as he struggled with handling, particularly in right-hand corners. After the conclusion of the race, the stewards penalized the Monegasque driver, dropping him from P6 to P8 in the final classification.
Speaking after the race, Leclerc admitted responsibility, calling the mistake “entirely my fault.” Ferrari has been getting great starts but has failed to convert them into victories so far. This was yet another example of Ferrari missing an opportunity.
Hit: Franco Colapinto’s best weekend of the season
This was Franco Colapinto’s best weekend since joining Alpine. He showed his most complete and confident performance yet. The Argentinian benefited from Alpine’s aero upgrades and a lighter chassis, which improved overall car performance.
He out-qualified his teammate, Pierre Gasly, in both sessions. This is a rare instance that indicates his improvement in one-lap pace. The 22-year-old maintained a consistent race pace throughout the Grand Prix. He held net P8 for most of the race, but after Leclerc’s penalty, he moved to P7, securing six points for himself and the team.
Barring a Lap 1 incident with Lewis Hamilton, he drove cleanly for the entire race session.
Miss: George Russell falls behind in the championship despite a dominant car
Entering the 2026 championship, George Russell was everyone’s favorite for the Drivers’ title, and the opening race in Australia suggested that with the commanding Mercedes car, it was Russell’s championship to lose. In China and Japan, due to slight misfortunes for Russell, Antonelli capitalized, winning races and taking the championship lead.
The 19-year-old, who might have been learning from Russell until last year, is now his primary championship rival. In Miami, the Briton failed to extract performance from his dominant car. He struggled throughout the weekend, unable to match the potential pace of the package.
Russell himself acknowledged his “poor pace” and began adjusting brake settings and his driving style in the final stages, but it was too late to influence the result. In the end, he benefited from Leclerc’s mistake to finish in P4.
Although Russell is downplaying the threat from Antonelli, being consistently outperformed by his teammate and falling 20 points adrift is raising concerns and putting him under pressure.
Hit: Lando Norris’ comeback
McLaren and Lando Norris had an underwhelming start to the season, as the car lacked the pace to match the Mercedes. There were also reliability issues that prevented both McLaren drivers from competing in the Chinese GP.
Ahead of the Miami GP, the team introduced major upgrades. Lando Norris clearly reaped the benefits, clinching the sprint pole and victory, which ended Mercedes’ winning streak for the season.
He put himself in an early winning position and led the race for a brief period. He was involved in a tight wheel-to-wheel battle with Antonelli. Due to a pit stop miscalculation, Norris lost track position after stopping a lap later and being undercut by Antonelli.
Ultimately, Norris finished in P2. This indicated that McLaren is capable of challenging Mercedes. Overall, it was a bittersweet weekend for the defending champion.
Miss: A weekend to forget for Red Bull
It was a disappointing weekend for Red Bull. Neither driver delivered a clean or fully competitive weekend despite signs of underlying pace. Max Verstappen had a chaotic start; he spun while avoiding Leclerc, losing significant track position.
The Dutchman’s race craft was questionable at times, ranging from aggressive to borderline unacceptable depending on the interpretation, adding controversy to his performance. He also received a five-second penalty.
Isack Hadjar’s race ended with a crash into the wall while he was recovering from a pit lane start. Overall, the weekend revealed internal problems currently facing Red Bull.
With McLaren’s comeback, the 2026 season has become much more interesting. The season will continue on May 22 in Canada.
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