Formula 1 held the sprint race of the Miami Grand Prix on a weekend that is beginning to show a shift in the balance of power.
Lando Norris took the victory and led McLaren's 1-2 alongside Oscar Piastri in a competition marked by constant pace and few overtaking opportunities. The podium was completed by Charles Leclerc, while Mercedes, dominant at the start of the season, was left out of the top 3 for the first time.
The race build up had a moment of tension when Nico Hülkenberg suffered an incident on the last corner on his way to the grid, his car caught fire and he could not take the start. It is expected that the team can recover the car for the main qualifying. Added to this was the absence of Arvid Lindblad, who also could not go out on track.
There was a start that changed the rhythm and destiny of the race: Kimi Antonelli lost two positions, conditioning his race from the first meters, from there, the competition took a fairly linear course, with few overtaking opportunities on track, something that usually happens in this type of sprint format.
The most attractive moment of the race was starred by two world champions, who managed to break the monotony that had been seen: Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who maintained an intense fight for position that gave excitement to a race that was at times predictable, that duel was one of the few focal points of action on track in a sprint where pace and management were decisive.
At the front, McLaren showed a leap in quality, Norris dominated the race and achieved his fourth victory in sprint races, reaffirming his great moment, the Briton also stands out again in Miami, a special circuit for him, where he had already achieved his first Formula 1 victory in 2024. The team's 1-2 reinforces the feeling that McLaren is positioning itself as one of the main contenders for the weekend.
Behind the podium, Mercedes had a more complicated day than usual. After a dominant start to the season, the German team was left off the podium for the first time this year, finishing fourth and fifth.
Beyond the lack of action on track, the sprint race left important conclusions: McLaren appears as the team to beat in Miami, Ferrari remains competitive and Mercedes faces its first setback of the season. This is a result that marks a possible change in the dynamics of the championship.
Qualifying and the main race will be key to confirm whether this change in trend is consolidated or whether Mercedes can recover the lost ground.