Miami 2026, the other podium

F1 Miami, the report cards of those promoted 1. McLaren. As in 2024, Florida showcases papaya prowess. Only Kimi steals the show from a McLaren that has once again become a point of reference, perhaps even the first force awaiting the first serious updates at Mercedes. From the defeat in Australia – double DNS as reigning champions, a disgrace in the world – to poles, podiums and victories (albeit in a Sprint) in the space of two months, with an explosive growth that only they seem to be capable of. They work better, while elsewhere there is still talk of potential to be unlocked. 2. Kimi Antonelli. Miami is saved from the rain but not from this curly cyclone, which when you see it makes you think of everything except that he could currently be the fastest driver in the world. Mediocre performance in the Sprint, but extraordinary in the race, with Russell reduced to anonymity, Max defused at the start and Norris kept at bay with impressive calm. This guy is normalizing the impossible. Or at least what seemed like it just two years ago: Italian flags on the podium, pole, Mameli’s anthem which has become a sweet habit. Now, respecting our opponents who have grown and waiting to see Mercedes’ (and Russell’s) response, there is no need to be afraid to dream of that little word. Because the basis, incredibly, is there. All that remains is chiseling. 3. Franco Colapinto. Top-10 in two qualifications and two races, in an F1 that theoretically precludes the top eight positions from the midfield teams. Seventh place was the result of skill and a pinch of luck (between Leclerc’s penalty and the accidents of Gasly and Hadjar), in the meantime he was there, without rotting in anonymity as happened until a few months ago. Well done Alpine (here criticized several times), mention for Williams who scored points with both drivers taking advantage of the weekend between the impalpable and the disconcerting of Haas, Racing Bulls and Audi. F1 Miami, the report cards of those who failed 3. How boring. If those who talk about F1 have to feed conspiracies about Lawson deliberately letting Verstappen pass (so are we closing our eyes to the fight of the previous lap?), they must say that Hadjar annihilates Max (26-4 in the standings), when Leclerc makes a mistake he says it like the contraindications of the information leaflet, not to mention “the lap of then” (always in FP1, at most in FP2) / “How beautiful this F1 is” (it was certainly a more spectacular weekend, but on a favorable track) / “Everything else is boredom“… for goodness sake, these are amusing observations: but every now and then wouldn’t it be better to get really bored? 2. Ferrari. The dynamic is always the same. Phase 1: promising free practice, Q1 and Q2 at the level of the best. Phase 2: Q3 where the others put two more gears giving you three tenths. Phase 3: statements that invariably touch on the themes “potential”, “execution of the tour”, “the pace is there”. Phase 4: the pace isn’t there, because they’ll strip your paint on the straight anyway. And now it may also be a question of the engine, but this has been the history of weekends for years. Something better was expected, without a doubt, from this working group, which had circled 2026 on the calendar for some time. And instead, despite the first package of developments, Ferrari was the third force on the track, if not the fourth: without the spin at Turn 2, Verstappen would certainly have done another race and perhaps would have been in front more easily. 1. George Russell. Forty-three seconds in 46 laps from Antonelli, four tenths in both qualifying sessions. You may not like the track, your teammate may have sky-high morale, you may have had bad luck in Shanghai and Suzuka… but 43 seconds (with a Safety Car involved) is the gap that Perez took from Verstappen. In his eighth year in F1, his fifth in Mercedes and now in full maturity (now 29 years old), Russell cannot afford these performances. He understood that he had underestimated Antonelli, but now he must reevaluate himself. Fate gives him back (both in the Sprint and in the GP) what it took from him in the East and the calendar has Montreal in store, where he won last year. But now he has to help himself, because so far he is the biggest disappointment of the World Championship on the drivers side.

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News
2026-05-05 01:10:00