The 2025 Miami Grand Prix didn’t just crown another winner, it revealed a championship in flux. Oscar Piastri’s dominant win led a McLaren 1-2, while Ferrari’s internal dynamics buckled again, Red Bull continued to show cracks, and Yuki Tsunoda’s rise at Red Bull has become one of the season’s strongest narratives. From rejected protests to podium politics, Miami proved F1 2025 is anything but predictable.
Piastri’s Triple Crown and Total Control
Oscar Piastri is no longer emerging, he’s established. His third win in a row and fifth overall this season makes him the clear championship leader. Calm, calculated, and relentlessly consistent, Piastri has become McLaren’s new anchor.
His ability to keep Verstappen at bay and control the pace in hot conditions showed not just talent but strategic maturity well beyond his years. He now leads the championship with 131 points.
Lando Norris, on the other hand, had a clumsy Turn 1 move that dropped him to P6, but his drive back to P2 was sharp and composed. His quote “If I don’t go for it, people say I’m not good enough. If I do, people say I’m dumb” summed up the pressure and mindset of a driver trying to break through the title glass ceiling.
It’s clear we may be watching the early stages of a Norris-Piastri rivalry. It’s respectful for now, but the gap is closing.
Ferrari’s Flailing Leadership and Strategy Paralysis
What’s going on at Ferrari? The team’s two champions, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, spent more time on the radio asking questions than overtaking. Once again, strategic indecision defined their weekend.
Hamilton was visibly frustrated mid-race, snapping, “Stop talking to me while I’m in frickin’ battle, man!” The team hesitated when it came to pit stop decisions, tire choices, and whether to swap the drivers as Leclerc looked the quicker of the two for most of the race.
Fred Vasseur’s leadership is increasingly under scrutiny. The calm exterior isn’t translating into control, and Ferrari continues to waste opportunities through strategic limbo. There’s a growing sentiment that Ferrari needs more authority on the pit wall, not more patience.
Red Bull: Fast but Fracturing
Red Bull’s weekend was marred by multiple signs of instability. A post-race protest against George Russell for an alleged VSC infraction was quickly thrown out by stewards, a move that felt more like a distraction than a statement of confidence.
On track, Max Verstappen couldn’t keep pace with the McLarens and struggled to contain Russell. His aggressive early defense backfired, overheating his tires and compromising his strategy. The RB21 remains fast in clean air, but its sensitivity in traffic and high-degradation conditions is being exposed.
Yuki Tsunoda continues to silence doubters. Finishing P10 in Miami, he’s now outperformed Verstappen’s other recent teammates consistently by staying in the top 10 and bringing home much needed points to salvage their championship hopes despite Red Bull’s fragility.
What stands out is his newfound control. Tsunoda’s earlier career was marked by emotion and inconsistency, but this season he’s driving with clarity, restraint, and just the right amount of aggression. He’s not just a strong number two, he’s becoming a real asset to Red Bull’s constructors’ campaign.
Albon and Williams: The Midfield Gold Standard
Alex Albon continues to extract maximum value out of the FW47. His P5 finish in Miami marked another high point in what’s shaping up to be his best-ever season. Calm under pressure and consistent in execution, Albon is doing the kind of work that once earned George Russell his Mercedes seat.
Carlos Sainz, now driving for Williams, quietly brought the car home in P9. He remains consistent and sharp, but the machinery isn’t there for podiums. That said, he’s proven a critical asset in helping develop the car alongside Albon.
Antonelli Delivers Again for Mercedes
Rookie Kimi Antonelli stunned with a bold P6 finish. His launch at the start was electric, and while he couldn’t hold off the frontrunners, he kept his head in traffic and managed tire life expertly. George Russell’s podium ensures Mercedes still has bite in the top four, but Antonelli is proving he’s no gimmick.
Miami GP: Top 10 Finishers
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 3 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 5 | Alex Albon | Williams |
| 6 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 7 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 8 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 9 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull |
Championship Standings (Top 5 After 5 Races)
| Driver | Points |
|---|---|
| Oscar Piastri | 131 |
| Lando Norris | 115 |
| Max Verstappen | 99 |
| George Russell | 93 |
| Charles Leclerc | 53 |
Podium Booing and Fan Sentiment
The boos directed at FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem during the podium ceremony didn’t go unnoticed. Fans have grown increasingly vocal about perceived inconsistencies in stewarding, a lack of transparency, and frustrating delays in rulings.
The Miami crowd, loud, engaged, and full of newer fans, made it clear: even if you’re not wearing a helmet, you’re not immune to criticism.
Is Miami Finally Delivering on the Hype?
For all the pre-race skepticism about Miami’s glitz-over-substance reputation, the racing has started to win over even the most cynical viewers. Tire degradation, multiple viable strategies, real overtaking, and midfield scrapping have made this layout quietly one of the most dynamic new-era tracks.
Final Word: The Order is Changing
Piastri is leading, Norris is knocking, Verstappen is cracking, and Ferrari is… still Ferrari. But behind them, drivers like Albon, Tsunoda, Antonelli, and Sainz are forming a compelling, competitive midfield core that’s making 2025 one of the most unpredictable seasons in years.