Kimi Antonelli bids for hat-trick of wins as F1 returns in Miami

The Formula 1 season has so far gone according to script as Mercedes swept the first three races of the year, with George Russell’s win in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix hardly causing a flutter. But what has turned heads since then has been the domination of Russell’s 19-year-old Italian teammate Kimi Antonelli, who became the youngest championship leader after winning the following two races in China and Japan to lead the Briton by nine points.

And as the Formula 1 bandwagon returns to Miami this weekend after a month's enforced absence due to the US-Israel-Iran war, the question on everybody’s lips is, ‘will Antonelli complete a hat-trick of wins’? Antonelli's triumphs have already made him the first Italian driver since Alberto Ascari in 1953 to win two consecutive races.

Miami GP brings with it tweaks to the regulations aimed at making the cars and the spectacle more natural with reduced battery re-charging in qualifying and increased super-clipping power to reduce dangerous speed differentials.

"After a month without any racing, we are ready to get back on track," said Mercedes chief Toto Wolff. "We've used this break to analyse the opening races, address our weaknesses and raise our level.

"We've started the season well, but that counts for very little if you stand still. We know our competitors will have used this time to improve and build a deeper understanding of their cars, so we expect the field to be closer in Miami.

"That's the reality of F1 – it's a challenge we must rise to."

He added that the revised rules would "respect the DNA of our sport" and deliver an improved spectacle without any significant reduction to Mercedes' early-season performance advantage.

For the Silver Arrows, this Sunday's race is an opportunity for a first win in Florida since the event was launched five years ago. It has been won twice by four-time world champion Max Verstappen for Red Bull and twice by McLaren with a win apiece for world champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri.

The Papaya duo will harbour hopes of claiming points too with success in Saturday's sprint race, won last year by Norris, but Ferrari are widely expected to be strong contenders as they arrive in Miami, like McLaren, who are bringing an almost "completely new car", with a heavily revised package.

"It was one of our best tracks for pure pace, compared to others, last year," said Norris. "It's a different track and it may still suit us a little more than others."

After winning in 2022 and 2023, Verstappen will be aiming to stop Mercedes' winning run and revive Red Bull's challenge this year after a disappointing start. He is ninth, on 12 points, 60 adrift of Antonelli, with team-mate Isack Hadjar 12th on four.

Ferrari's duo of Charles Leclerc and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton are third and fourth, respectively, on 49 and 41 points with many paddock observers suggesting they are poised to fight for a first win since Carlos Sainz's success in Mexico in October 2024.

Leclerc's eighth and last win came at Austin, Texas, shortly before Sainz's triumph while Hamilton is chasing his 106th win and first since the 2024 Belgian race before he joined Ferrari. After an underwhelming first year, the Briton said he is relishing the challenge of a new formula that has seen him rediscover his racing mojo.

So, as the drivers line up for the first practice session tomorrow ahead of the sprint qualifying, the prospect of reduced battery re-charging in qualifying is unlikely to affect their mood much.

"We're all re-charged after the break," said Russell, expressing the feelings of most drivers. "I'm hoping we can continue where we left off."

Weather could be the only dampener with forecasts in Miami predicting a fair chance of rain on race-day.