Verstappen and Norris collide in key Miami GP showdown last year

Last year’s Miami Grand Prix saw the four-time world champion start from pole, with Norris alongside him on the front row, followed by Russell and Piastri just behind. The first flashpoint came immediately at the start, as the Dutchman squeezed Norris into Turn 1, coming close to contact and forcing him to lose several positions, with Antonelli, Piastri, Russell and Albon all taking advantage to move ahead.

As the laps went by, McLaren’s clear pace advantage began to show, leaving Verstappen having to dig deep to hold onto the lead against a much faster Piastri. After fending off a few early attempts, there was little he could do on lap 13, when the then championship leader made his move to take control of the race.

Meanwhile, Norris was also carving his way back through the field, closing in on Verstappen in under 15 laps. Their battle quickly intensified, with the Brit briefly getting ahead before handing the place back to avoid a potential penalty. The decisive move came on lap 17, as both McLarens surged clear at the front. Behind them, the fight also heated up between the two Ferraris and Albon, with Leclerc pulling off a brilliant double overtake into Turn 1 to get the better of both.

Norris attempted to close the gap to his teammate but to no avail, having lost significant time in his earlier battle with Verstappen. The podium positions remained unchanged through to the chequered flag, with Piastri taking the win and extending his lead in the championship over his teammate, while Verstappen was left to settle for third.

The Miami Grand Prix weekend has undergone a significant reshuffle compared to the original plan. Following a series of updates - including revisions to the Formula 1 timetable and the late addition of a Formula 2 round - the schedule has been reworked ahead of the event.

After discussions with all parties involved, the FIA confirmed that Free Practice 1 will now be extended to 90 minutes, running from 12:00 to 13:30 local time. As a consequence, all sessions scheduled before FP1 have been brought forward by half an hour. The decision was made to account for the long gap since the previous race, recent technical and regulatory tweaks, and the limited track time typically available during Sprint weekends. In addition, Formula 2 has been added to the programme to avoid a lengthy pause in its season, providing extra on-track action for fans throughout the weekend.