A day of dramatic events rocked the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, leaving Formula 1 fans breathless. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, suffered a shock elimination in Q2, finishing in a disappointing twelfth place. Ferrari, which had raised hopes with Hamilton’s third place in the Sprint, saw its dream of a competitive race vanish. “It was a complicated day,” Hamilton admitted to Sky Sports F1, “the new tyres didn’t work, the car changed from one lap to the next.” The SF-25, still difficult to tame for the Briton, showed adaptation problems, forcing him to make a difficult comeback in the long race. Meanwhile, McLaren, the heavy favourite after dominating in practice, suffered a stinging defeat. Max Verstappen, a new father, took a masterful pole position, the 43rd of his career, with a record lap that beat Lando Norris by just 65 thousandths. Oscar Piastri, fourth, failed to keep up, leaving papaya in the shade compared to expectations.
Young Kimi Antonelli, third, stole the show, confirming his talent after the pole in the Sprint. Mercedes, with the Bolognese in great form, proved to be a thorn in the side of Ferrari and McLaren. Charles Leclerc, eighth, salvaged what could be saved for the Reds, but the gap of 110 points from McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship weighs like a millstone. The Sprint race had given fans hope, with Norris and Piastri on the podium, but qualifying reshuffled the cards. Verstappen, penalized 10 seconds in the Sprint for an accident in the pit lane, responded with an impeccable performance, dedicating the pole to his newborn daughter Lily. “There is no better gift,” he said, smiling.
The Miami circuit, with its fast corners and hot asphalt, exposed the limits of Ferrari and McLaren. Tyre management, crucial in Florida, penalised Hamilton, who struggled with the understeer of the SF-25. The McLaren, although solid in the first sector, did not find the pace to counter Verstappen’s Red Bull. The fans, who came in droves, witnessed a chaotic weekend, with accidents, safety cars and risky strategies. The rain, which complicated the Sprint, added unpredictability, rewarding those, like Hamilton, who took risks with the soft tyres.
What awaits the race? Verstappen starts as the favorite, but Norris promises a battle. Hamilton, from the sixth row, dreams of an epic comeback, while Antonelli is aiming for a historic podium. Ferrari must react to avoid losing ground. Miami 2025 confirms itself as a Grand Prix where nothing is a given, and every curve can rewrite history.
