Miami Gardens, 04 May (H.S.): Nineteen‑year‑old Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli etched his name into Formula 1 folklore on Sunday by winning the 2026 Miami Grand Prix, becoming the first driver in the sport’s 76‑year history to convert each of his first three career pole positions into successive race victories.

The triumph also marked his third straight win of the season, cementing his status as the clear championship frontrunner.

Clean‑sweep of poles and wins

Antonelli’s victory at the Miami International Autodrome completed an unprecedented hat‑trick, as he and teammate George Russell have jointly claimed all four season‑opening race poles and wins, reinforcing Mercedes’ early‑season dominance.

After crossing the line, Antonelli said, “This is only the beginning; the road ahead is long. The team has done an outstanding job, and I will enjoy this win before turning my focus back to work.” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff hailed the result, adding, “There was nothing to complain about today – a superb performance from start to finish.”

The race began on a wet track, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc making a blistering start to assume the lead, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen spun after contact and dropped down the order.

Antonelli reclaimed the lead by the fifth lap and then withstood pressure from McLaren’s Lando Norris, executing a decisive pit‑stop undercut to pull away and hold the position through the final laps.

Final classification

The top seven finishers read as follows:

Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

Lando Norris (McLaren)

Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

George Russell (Mercedes)

Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)

Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari).

The race also delivered high‑profile incidents, including Isack Hadjar’s collision with the wall, which forced his retirement, and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine flipping after a heavy impact, though he emerged unharmed from the overturned car.

With the Miami Grand Prix now in the books, Formula 1 heads to the Canadian Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on 24 May, where the championship battle is set to intensify further.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar