Norris Loses Miami Sprint Win After Antonelli Undercut
Lando Norris lost the Miami sprint win after Kimi Antonelli beat McLaren in the pit sequence and held the lead to finish 3.264s clear. Norris had taken control shortly after a Safety Car period, but the race turned when Antonelli stopped one lap earlier and came back out ahead.
Norris on the undercut
The McLaren driver called the loss a matter of strategy, not a lack of effort. “A mixed bag, really. We just got undercut. No excuses other than that. We got undercut; we should have boxed first. Kimi did a good job, hats off to Merc and Kimi – they drove a good race.”
He also left Miami with frustration over how close the chance was. “I’m gutted to miss out on a win here in Miami, I think it was possible today, but not the pace to get back past him in the end.”
Antonelli beats McLaren
Antonelli’s one-lap advantage at the stop changed the order at the front. Norris had been in front after the Safety Car phase, but once the Mercedes car rejoined ahead, McLaren had to chase rather than control the race.
Norris said the final gap was not the main issue. “It’s easy to make mistakes out there with the big braking zones and with these cars, but he didn’t make any big enough for me to capitalise on.” The result left him second, with Antonelli taking the win and denying McLaren the payoff from its early lead.
Piastri keeps McLaren on podium
Oscar Piastri gave McLaren another strong finish by passing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc near the end to take the final podium place. He said Saturday had been messy for both McLaren drivers, but Sunday looked stronger. “It’s not been the most straightforward of weekends,” Piastri said.
He added: “I think Qualifying yesterday was a bit messy for both of us [McLaren drivers], but the pace seemed more encouraging again today.” His read on the race matched the shape of the result: “I think this weekend we showed that if we get track position, we can hang onto things well”
Miami still showed McLaren can fight at the front, but the margin for error was pit timing and position. Piastri said the team had “definitely taken a step forward” and hoped to take another step forward in Canada, while Norris left with the sharper lesson that a one-lap swing in the pits can decide a race even after a lead on track.
